


The Frustration

by Mykko_chan



Category: Bleach
Genre: Anal Sex, Bonding, Dirty Talk, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Multi, Oral Sex, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-29
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2018-06-10 09:04:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 69,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6949780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mykko_chan/pseuds/Mykko_chan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the Yokkyuu (the frustration) hits Ichigo, it seems everyone wants to help rid him of his 'excess' energy. And he'd never even heard of the damn thing. How the hell is he supposed to get rid of it? He's supposed to do what? With who? And there is a hidden enemy waiting to take advantage of Ichigo's powers for their own purposes. Soul Society will never be the same. Set approx 20 years in the future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> HI!  
> So... I started writing this for me. It was supposed to be Renji Ichigo. It was... and then it wasn't. The hollow was thrown in and then later, Grimm shows up. That whole Grimm thing... that was Kizukatana's fault. I love her. But yeah, her fault. So, she convinced me to post it. I hope you enjoy it too. I could use a Bleach Beta, to check my bleach facts and if someone wants to be a grammar Nazi I'm happy with that as well. I hope you like.

Ichigo stood on the wall surrounding the seireitei and considered all the changes that had occurred in the 20 years since he had become aware of it’s existence. He was a vizard now. He was accepted. Hell, he was a vice-captain. He could have become a captain if his knowledge was better, but he hadn’t felt comfortable asking for that position yet. He was fukutaicho to Byakuya-san. Renji was Captain of the 5th. Rukia was a 3rd seat.

He supposed the most important thing was that he’d given up life on the other side. This was his home now. He missed his sisters and father. But he saw them every once in awhile.

For the most part, Soul Society felt like home. He went out with the guys. He hung out with the seated officers and sometimes the non-seated. Rukia was like his sister, Renji his best friend.

Byakuya was his Captain. Kenpachi was his friend. The other Vizards were his very very odd extended family. He dated. It was normal – for a Shinigami. Yet in the last year he had felt restless. Nothing seemed right. Just last night he’d gone out with Rukia who’d pointed out that in terms of the Seireitei he was still very young. Perhaps he just hadn’t settled in yet. He’d only been there fifteen years.

HE KNEW THAT HE WAS YOUNG! HE WAS ALWAYS YOUNG!

He’d been hearing that over and over.

NOT EVERYTHING WAS WRONG BECAUSE HE WAS YOUNG!

He just didn’t think that was the reason he felt so out of balance.

Six months ago, Byakuya had decided to start further Kido instruction for him. He’d assigned a member of the squad who’d specialized in it but they’d complained after Ichigo had nearly blown them up multiple times. The woman had been transferred. Byakuya had thought it funny. Ichigo though had felt rather humiliated. He didn't want to admit that he'd wandered around wanting to pick fights.

Even though there hadn’t really been any major threats of late, he still felt the need to train exhaustively, like something under his skin, it was like an itch he couldn't scratch. He had been going to see Zaraki more than was probably healthy. They both ended up in needing Hanataro.

He felt Jido coming up on his left and turned, nodding to the 24th seat. He reminded the man that the night was likely to turn cold and went to report to his captain.

Byakuya looked at his fukutaicho. At 45, Ichigo was easily the strongest Shinigami there was and had been for a while. And while the young man was still wild and impulsive at times, he’d learned to control much of that. Ichigo didn’t believe he was above others. He was kind to others. But something had been bothering his vice captain.

After hearing the report, he asked, “Do you feel the need to see your family Kurosaki Fukutaicho?”

Ichigo froze and blinked. “Why do you ask, Taicho? Have you heard something?”

The captain shook his head. “No. But you appear unfulfilled. I was wondering if you were missing them and had not asked for the time.”

Ichigo’s lips twitched. “You are pretty damn intimidating. But I would ask if I felt I needed it. And no, last I heard, they were fine.”

“Perhaps it is time for you to consider the idea of taking a captaincy?”

Ichigo’s eyes widened. Byakuya hid a smile behind his tea cup. He agreed with Renji. Surprising Ichigo was thrilling.

“You wouldn’t say that if you didn’t think it was time?”

Byakuya shook his head. “You know I would not. But there are no openings right now. And I said that it was time to consider it. There are things we can do to prepare you more fully. As you know, your Kido could use improvement. “

Ichigo snorted.

“And really I’ve neglected your education on some of the social aspects of the founding families.” Byakuya shook his head. “There is much I can cover that will make you a well balanced leader.”

Ichigo nodded. “Thank you Taicho.”

“I hear both you and Zaraki have been busy destroying both training grounds and yourselves?  
Even more than usual?”

Ichigo looked at his waraji (sandals).

“Ichigo, I’ve been asked, by the Captain Commander for you to refrain from visiting the 11th quite so frequently. Not only are you causing destruction, Captain Kenpachi’s squad is not completing their orders.”

Ichigo blushed.

“The Commander would have ordered Captain Kenpachi but he wouldn’t listen. He likes to think that you at least respect both he and I.”

“Yes Taicho.”

“You are feeling the need to spar more often?”

“I do,” Ichigo replied.

Byakuya sighed.

“Are you having sexual relations with anyone?”

Ichigo staggered. “What!?” The word reverberated through the barracks.

“You of all people know how I hate to repeat myself.”

“But...But...That isn’t any of your business,” Ichigo stammered and blushed.

“You told me when you were dating someone. You have not dated someone in over a year and a half. I wish to know why you have such excess energy, Ichigo Kurosaki.”

“Again. Respectfully, this is not your business, Taicho”

“You are out of sorts, your friends have complained that they haven’t seen you for a while.”  
Ichigo, face still pink, looked at the painting over Byakuya’s shoulder. “I’m training my kido so I can get closer to captaincy.”

“It is abysmal. But you are still young.”

“So I have to work on it!”

“Kurosaki, you are the strongest of us here. I’ve seen you lead. If as a captain you need kido that bad you can get a fukutaicho that excels in it. Do you feel I’ve held you back?”  
Ichigo shook his head and waved his hands. “No. Not at all. I can’t lead here if I don’t know how the Seireitei works.”

“The 11th manages.”

“I don’t want to have a squad like the 11th.”

“You didn’t answer me before. Are you sleeping with anyone?”

“Dear lord! Are you fucking offering?”

Byakuya’s mouth wanted to drop open. Only his many, many years kept it closed. He stared at his admittedly good looking fukutaicho. “I do not believe in sleeping with those in my squad. Besides. I thought you only slept with women.”

Ichigo was bright red. “Please, please can you forget I ever said that?”

Byakuya tilted his head. He was having too much fun. “So despite the fact that I must turn you down, does that mean you are now considering sleeping with men, Kurosaki?”

Ichigo wanted to Shunpo out of there so badly. He’d slept with a couple of men, just to see what it was like. He hadn’t found it to be anything special.

Most of the women he’d dated had wanted him because he was famous or strong or both. They didn’t understand that neither of those was WHO he was. The men had expected the strong total dom or had wanted to top him for bragging rights and there was no way he was going to become the grist for the rumor mill. Nothing had felt right. He just didn’t feel comfortable with any of them.

“Kurosaki, Ichigo?”

“Please don’t set me up with anyone Taicho. There has been no one that has truly... attracted me, I suppose. Of either sex.”  
\-------------------------------------

That night, Ichigo dreamed of Shiro. The Hollow was trying to tell him something but he couldn’t hear the masked man.

He woke up sweating at 3am. His sheets and futon were soaked. He took a shower to cool off. He’d had it installed when he moved in.

He looked down, surprised to find himself hard. He took himself in hand and wondered if this was some strange side effect of the conversation with Byakuya he’d had earlier.

He stroked himself off quickly with no one particular in mind. He felt little satisfaction but finished the shower. Seeing that he had nothing to do, and it was too late to go back to bed, he decided on a run. He put on black sweats and a tee-shirt and began to run through Seireitei. He nodded as he passed sleepy guards and made it a game to surprise them if he could. He didn’t do it so he could get them in trouble, he just loved watching them jump. Sometimes, if he was good, they screamed and he couldn't help but smirk.

When he returned to his rooms, he paused with his hand on the door. Someone was inside.  
“Ichigo, Ya might as well come in. Ya know I’m here.”

Ichigo sighed and slid the door open. “Grimm, you’re early.”

Grimmjow was sitting on Ichigo’s couch. “I thought I’d come early and let ya make breakfast for me before the meeting.”

Ichigo lifted a brow. “They’re letting you in on the meeting?”

The meeting was held bi-yearly between Hueco Mundo and Soul Society in the name of diplomacy.

Grimm looked away. “I’m security.”

Ichigo chuckled. “Diplomacy isn’t your strong suit.”

Grimm showed his teeth. “No, I like ta’ fight. I can smell you want to too.”

Ichigo frowned in irritation. “I just got back from a run. I’ll clean up. I wouldn’t want to offend your sense of cleanliness.” Ichigo stomped passed him and into the bathroom.

Ichigo scrubbed at his skin. He didn’t know why he was so angry. The comment didn’t really warrant it. His arms were red when he started on his torso.

The door to the bathroom was shoved open Ichigo froze. “What the fuck?”

Grimm leaned against the door frame. “Ichigo.” His blue eyes took in Ichigo’s naked form from toes to head and back again.

Ichigo felt himself get hard and covered himself.

Grimm’s chuckle should be outlawed, Ichigo decided. “Get the fuck out!”

“You do know when I said you smelled like you wanted a fight, I didn’t mean you were sweaty, right?”

“What?” Ichigo stared at him. “I don’t... What do you mean, I smell?”

“As a Hollow, I can “smell” that you have excess ‘energy,’ the Yokkyuu. There are a couple of ways of working that off. “

Grimmjow took two steps forward until he was just outside the wet area. “I can help you with either.”

Ichigo threw the soap at him. The what? Grimm ducked and grinned. “Now Ichigo, this is information you need to know. I’m surprised Shiro hasn’t told you. When was the last time you spoke with him?”

“Shiro?” Ichigo repeated.

“Hmm, yes. Hollow energy builds up. It’s called the Yokkyuu, the frustration. Yours is higher than anyone else I’ve ever seen.” He licked his lips. “It makes sense that you’d have issues. We can fight, that releases some, but...”

“Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, get your ass out here right now!” Nelliel yelled. “Don’t think I won’t come in there!”

Ichigo’s head snapped up and they both looked toward the front. “Get the fuck out!”

“Fuck!” Grimm snarled. He turned his piercing gaze to Ichigo once more. “Don’t think this conversation is over.” And he was gone.

Ichigo didn’t know what to feel, so he settled for pissed off. He finished his shower and went to meet his Tachio. He really wished he knew what Grimm was going to say. He had an idea but it didn't make any sense that idea was smothered by the part of that was horrified. Cause he knew this thing was somehow deep, dark and a pain in the ass. Hollow stuff usually was. That was what kept him from talking to Shiro. That and being late to a meeting with Byakuya was a very bad thing.

_____

He hadn’t expected Renji to be in Byakuya’s office. He nodded to both of them. It was a relief to see Renji again after his long absence. Renji’s return look was piercing. Ichigo wondered what the hell he’d done to get on Renji’s shit list this time.

“I heard you had a visitor this morning, Ichi,” Renji said once the door to the office closed.

Damn, everyone knew everything around here! Was Renji angry about that? That didn’t make any sense. He just was glad they didn’t know that Grimm was practically in the shower with him. He felt heat rush to his face. Was he blushing? Fuck. He was far too old to be blushing.

Suddenly Renji’s teasing smirk twisted. “Is that a blush Ichigo?” The red headed captain took a step toward Ichigo and tilted his head. “I didn’t know your taste ran in that direction.”

Ichigo scowled at him. “In Arrancars? Are you shitt’en me?”

Renji moved up until he was in Ichigo’s space. Ichigo could feel the heat radiating off his friend. His stomach tightened in a way that reminded him he hadn’t eaten. That’s all it was. “In assholes.”

Renji rocked backwards, barely keeping himself from breaking the antique vase filled with flowers on a sideboard when Ichigo punched him in the jaw. “You’re an asshole.”

Byakuya was outright laughing.

“Exactly,” Renji murmured, just loud enough for Ichigo to hear.

Ichigo had enough. “Permission to be excused?”

  
Byakuya’s eyes still laughed even if his face had become stoic once more. “Captain Abarai, I need to speak with my Fukutachio, if you please?”

Renji nodded respectfully and left after one last lingering look at Ichigo.

Byakuya poured Ichigo some tea. “Sit. We still have to talk about your day.”

Ichigo took a breath, forcing away his anger then sat at the chair across from the massive desk. He strangely missed Renji’s presence. And the damn energy he’d been feeling made him itchy. He picked up his tea and took a sip. He forced himself to look away from the sunshine outside the window. Byakuya’s office always smelled the same, like ink and power.

“You are to attend today’s meeting with the Arrancar,” Byakuya announced.

The delicate, purple cup in Ichigo’s hand trembled, splashing hot liquid onto his skin. “Why?” Ichigo asked in surprise. “Kensei Taicho is not injured is he? And why me? I’m not good with politics. You’ve told me that more than once.”

“No. But it was brought up by Kensei Taicho that the Arrancars respect power. You have power. So you are to sit in and listen. Try not to create an international incident.”

“How long have you known about me attending? Why didn’t I know?” How was he going to prepare?

“You would have spent all your time dreading it. There is nothing for you to prepare for this time. You would only have worried. Do you disagree?”

Ichigo frowned and shook his head. Byakuya was right. He would have worried, and gotten upset and that would have done you no good.

“I want you to walk in there and experience it. Ichigo, I’m going to say this as your mentor, not your superior. You are the most powerful of us. It is quite possible that sometime in the future, distant as it may be, you will become the Captain Commander. You have amazing instincts. People like and respect you. The Arrancar respect you. We need to take advantage of that fact. Go there, take what you can from listening to the Captain Commander Kyōraku and the others.

“It’s not just the hours of training your body that will make you a leader. I know you know and respect that.”

Ichigo nodded, he understood that part, but damn it if he wanted to be close to any Arrancars after that morning. Maybe he should have that conversation with Shiro. He heard laughter in the back of his mind and sighed. Respectful wasn’t exactly how he was feeling at that moment.

“Of course Kuchiki Taicho,” he answered anyway.

Ichigo knew when he was fucked. This was just another one of those occasions.

\----------------------

Ichigo scratched his nose and wished to hell that this meeting would just come to a fucking end. Why the fuck were they talking about all this shit? Most of it was obvious. Did they really need to work out minuscule details like who was in charge of cleaning the damn toilet of the rooms the Arrancars stayed at.

It really wasn’t that bad, but it was close.

He manly held in a sigh. Too keep himself from going insane, he placed his right hand on his thigh and allowed his fingers to twitch, one after another so slightly that no one would notice unless they were looking directly at his hands.

When Nelliel mentioned adding ambassadors that would exchange long visits in each other worlds to increase understanding, Ichigo got a really bad feeling. He’d long ago wondered why they hadn’t already done that but decided it was none of his damn business. He waited for the delegation from Hueco Mundo, Nelliel or Ulquiorra to look at him, but neither did. Then they started talking about where these ambassadors would stay.

Ichigo did sigh.

Everyone, from the Captain Commander to Kensei Taicho looked at him.

“Do you have some input on this subject Kurosaki Fukutaicho?” Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyōraku asked, lifting his hat curiously.

Ichigo shook his head. He tried to fight the flush that was spreading across his face. “No, I apologize for my distraction.”

“You do not believe all this negotiation is necessary?” Kensei Taicho asked.

Ichigo waved his hands, realized he was doing it and put them down. “No. I mean, I wish it wasn’t, but if you are going through the process, it must be.”

The Captain-Commander nodded. “There might be certain things that can be done to speed up the process a bit.” He smirked. “Do you, perchance have somewhere to be after this? You have been very… energetic of late.”

Ichigo was beet red by now. Nelliel, Ulquiorra, and Kensie Taicho were all looking at him intensely.

Ulquiorra said with no inflection, “I would be more than happy to help you with that.”

The visored and Arrancar snickered.

Ichigo thought a sparring session with the Espada sounded like a good idea. “We can discuss that when this is over.”

Nelliel almost fell over. “Grimmjow will kill him.”

Shiro was dying of laughter in his mind.

Ichigo knew he was missing something important. “Kill who?”

Kensie Taicho shook his head. “Not if Renji gets there first.”

Renji? What the hell did Renji have to do with this. And why would he be fighting the Arrancars? Renji could hold his own, but against them? Well, it had been a long time.

Ichigo wanted to bang his head against a wall. “What the hell?”

The Captain-Commander cleared his throat. “I’m glad to see you have so many suitors, Kurosaki Fukutaicho, but perhaps we should return to the intended topic of the gathering?”

Ichigo spluttered but became silent. Suitors? What the Fuck?

Once the summit came to a close for the day, Ichigo stepped outside and stretched. The strange energy he’d felt for a while vibrated even more strongly.

He turned to find Ulquiorra directly behind him… too close.

“I am… pleased you would consider my efforts.”

Ichigo felt another strong reiatsu at his back and looked over his shoulder.

“Don’t think so. I was with him this morning. I have first rights.” Grimmjow growled.

“If you were with him, he would be more relaxed. He agreed to spend time with me.”

“When?” The blue-haired man asked with narrowed eyes.

Ichigo could feel power leaking from the two, brushing over and around him. It annoyed the hell out of him, making him more restless. He grit his teeth and tried to slow his breathing. Shiro was screaming something at him.

“During the summit,” Ulquiorra replied. There was a smugness in his flat tone.

Both men turned to Ichigo.

He was shocked to find his hand on Zangetsu. He hadn’t realized he was that upset.  
“Someone really needs to tell me what’s going on before I expend some of my energy rearranging your faces and the landscape.”

A familiar arm wrapped around around his shoulders. “That would piss off Byakuya Taicho. I think maybe you need to come with me.”

“Renji!” Only the fact that Renji was such a good friend kept him from being sliced by Zangetsu. The warmth of Renji’s smell, that reminded Ichigo of a warm summer’s day on a dirt path, enveloped him.

  
“He agreed to come with me,” Ulquiorra snarled.

When he spoke, Renji’s voice was deep and soothing, the opposite of what Ichigo expected. “Do you even really know what you were agreeing to, Ichigo?”

Ichigo glanced at Renji. “I thought at first we were agreeing to spar.”

Grimmjow suddenly started to laugh, until he was bent at the waist, holding himself as if he would fall apart.

Ichigo did NOT like being laughed at. He stepped forward and bent his knees.

Renji placed his larger hand over Ichigo’s on the hilt of Zangetsu and squeezed. The action might have kept Ichigo from drawing the sword, but his reiatsu began to swirl.

Grimm was still chuckling but he was upright. The rage of Ichigo’s reiatsu had a sobering effect on him. “As I was tell’n ya this morning. There are two ways to get rid of all pent up frustration you have right now. The frustration called the Yokkyuu. You can fight. That takes care of it for most hollow. You’re not most, you have too much energy. You need the second option. You need to get it fucked out of your system.”

Silence.

Only the sound of his heartbeat filled Ichigo’s ears. Even Shiro was quiet. So to get rid of whatever this energy that was plaguing him day and night, leading him to odd dreams and make him jumpier than he’d been as a teen he’d have to fuck with someone? That made no sense in hell!

And….

The Espada were offering? Ichigo looked from the gorgeous blue haired man to the stronger and no less appealing Ulquiorra.

The arm around him tightened. “Don’t think they are your only option, Kurosaki Ichigo. I have far more to offer you,” the voice of Ichigo’s friend said into his ear.

Ichigo’s mouth fell open and he started to laugh. “You’re fucking kidding me. This is like a bad porno. He pushed away the fact that he’d gotten half-hard at the feeling of Renji’s mouth so close to his ear.

It was the way Ulquiorra shook his head that convinced Ichigo. It certainly wasn’t the way the blue haired loon laughed and Renji had played some bad gags. But Ulquiorra was just shaking his head.

“It’s true Ichigo,” Kensei Taicho said quietly from a few steps away. Ichigo suddenly looked around wildly. Was all of the Seireitei listening?

“It’s this Yokkyuu thing?” And what was up with Renji? Renji knew? “Abari? You knew and didn’t say anything?” Ichigo growled. He peered at the man over his shoulder.

“Ichigo, I was gone for two months. I just got back three days ago. Come with me so we can discuss this.”

Ichigo felt himself begin to tremble with anger and confusion. “No, no way in hell!”

Both of Renji’s arms wrapped around him. “Ichigo. It’s ok. Let’s solve this together.”

“Why!” Ichigo cried out. It felt odd and restrictive to be in his grasp, but not so much that he fought against the hold. Renji threw his arm around Ichigo all the time when they hung out. He wondered if he should fight this. But Renji never steered him wrong. And his body… it just seemed to vibrate at Renji’s touch. “Why would you want that?” Why was Renji offering to have sex with him?

“You’re my best friend. I would do just about anything for you.” Renji sighed in Ichigo’s ear. “Do you really want to have this discussion here? Look we need to talk and if you still… need them, they will be around. The Summit lasts another two days. Neither of them would turn you away.”

Ichigo looked into the burning eyes of the two Espada.

His brain didn’t feel as though it worked right but his body was working over time. It wanted to fight. Now. Well, he realized, maybe not fight.

“Renji,” he growled, “you better not disappoint me.”

Renji’s chuckle was low. “Of course not, Ichi. I have lots of experience. I’ll make it better than any you’ve ever had.”

Ichigo blushed deeply and felt himself grow hard. He struggled to turn around. “Oi! That’s not what I meant.”

Renji flashed stepped them back and then out of the Seireitei. Ichigo let Renji lead.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ichigo comes to realize that Renji is VERY serious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all that have read! Thanks to Thekurosakiconundrum who took the time to hold my hand and proofread the stupid thing. She has a great Ichigo Grimm story you should go read... immediately... well after reading this.

Ichigo's brain didn’t feel as though it worked right but his body was working over time. It wanted to fight. Now. Well, Ichigo realized, maybe not fight.

“Renji,” he growled, “you better not disappoint me.”

Renji’s chuckle was low. “Of course not, Ichi. I have lots of experience. I’ll make it better than any you’ve ever had.”

Ichigo blushed deeply and felt himself grow hard. He struggled to turn around. “Oi! That’s not what I meant.”

Renji flashed stepped them back and then out of the Seireitei. Ichigo let Renji lead.

Ichigo lifted a brow in surprise when they stopped outside a large estate. The building was white and red, low to the ground. The tile roof swooped gracefully, he could hear a the clicking of a bamboo fountain nearby.

There didn’t seem to be anyone around and he wasn't certain that made him feel any better. He looked at Renji and couldn’t help but feel nervous that they appeared to be alone. He told himself that was stupid, he could kick Renji’s ass if he needed to. The feeling didn’t fade.

“What? I have connections.” Renji said with a smirk lifting the corners of his mouth.

“Byakuya?” Ichigo guessed as he looked around at the impeccably manicured grounds.

“He’s not my only connection, but in this case you are correct.”

Ichigo nodded and took a moment to study Renji from his fiery red hair and sunglasses to his sandals. Renji hadn’t changed in appearance much over the years, he had more tattoos and he was a Taicho. But Renji had been many things over the years to Ichigo. He’d been an enemy, a rival, a mentor, they’d fought together and now they were best friends. There wasn’t a day that went by that Ichigo didn’t think of the red pineapple at least once and he always thought of Renji as his, his friend, his companion.

He clenched his fists in the fabric of his kosode to dry his hands.

Like the mangy hound Renji had once been compared to, Renji was loyal to a fault. Ichigo knew it would never be a mistake to have Reji at his side. But to have sex with him?

He had to admit the man was sexy...still.

“Fine. Explain how you know all this.” The words exploded out of him.

Renji led them inside and to a sitting room where he poured them both a cup of sake. From the set waiting for them. They knelt on either side of a black, lacquered table.

Renji picked up the blue cup and studied the clear liquor inside before meeting Ichigo’s gaze. Ichigo tried not to fidget.

“You’ve been getting antsy for awhile.”

“Antsy?” Ichigo asked. That made him sound five.

Renji narrowed his dark eyes. The humor, so often prevalent was gone. “Ya, antsy, Ichigo. For about a six months now. You started out by uppin’ the intensity of our spars, then you wanted them more often. You started beating on Kenpachi. I heard from Byakuya that you were having trouble concentrating.”

Ichigo glared at him. “You were talking about me behind my back.”

“He was worried about you, we all are.”

“All?” This was getting really bad. “You were having Taicho meetings or something about me?”

“Your friends.”

Ichigo wondered who was on that list. “Who? Wait.” There was something more important. “They know... What do they know?” Did they know about the sex thing? Who all was talking about him and sex?!Grimmjow hadn’t been quiet but...

Renji took off his sunglasses and put them on the table before taking a drink. Ichigo just wanted to jump up and hit him.

Renji finally said, “I think Kensei Taicho approached me first because he knew we were such good friends and I would know who best to give the information to.” He took another swallow. “He told me he thought your Hollow might be affecting you, he said sometimes the Visards had problems like that where they felt like they had too much energy, but they fought and yelled and then it passed. Sometimes they had sex and that seemed to work even better but it was fun to fight, ya know? And it’s called the Yokkyuu.” Renji shrugged. “But the visards just fight unless the case is really bad I guess and then they fuck."

“I was going to talk to you and then I got called away. I told Byakuya but asked him not to tell you yet. I was only supposed to be gone for two weeks, but then it ended up being two months.”

Ichigo stood up and ran a hand through his hair as he began to pace in the long narrow room. The windows looked into the garden but he didn’t even notice the beauty. “What the fuck? You told Byakuya? He knew I needed to...?" He couldn't even say the words. This was so unrealistic! He had to fuck to get rid of this crazy, uncomfortable...feeling? "You mean I do need to....? What exactly do I need to do? Why did you tell him?” He was yelling by the time he was done.

Renji smirked and Ichigo really wanted to wipe that off the man. “Yes, Byakuya knew you might need to have sex, Ichigo.” Renji chuckled.

Ichigo looked out at the weeping willows. “Fuck you, Renji.” That explained the weird conversation, he supposed.

“I told him because I might not have come back.” Ichigo froze. He could see the Taicho’s reflection in the glass. Renji’s eyes looked so dark.

What if Renji hadn’t come back?

Damn it to hell, he knew there were times Shinigami didn’t come back, but thinking about not seeing Renji again made him feel cold and alone. He had other friends in Soul Society, yet none were like Renji.

Ichigo ground his teeth together. The energy was pulsing through him. “So if this is so important. Why did you tell him to wait?”

Renji stood and walked toward Ichigo, not breaking eye contact. “Because I couldn’t stand the idea of anyone else but me fucking you. I still can’t. Byakuya knew that too.”

“Fucking me?” Ichigo asked harshly. A shudder ran through him. He couldn’t identify if it was because he wanted it to happen, he wanted to escape or he wanted to fight. “Is that the only thing that you think is going to happen here?”

Renji placed a solid hand on the back of Ichigo’s neck. “From what I understand, that’s what works. The one with the Yokkyuu needs to get fucked. And hell yeah, I want to take you.” He pressed with his fingers, encouraging Ichigo to turn towards him. “I want to fuck you long and deep, and hard, Ichi. I want to fill you deep inside and give you what you need.”

Ichigo’s sudden arousal was spiked with fear and anger. Why did he have to do this? He wasn’t a bottom? He stepped away, hands out. “Why should I choose you? The Arrancars probably have direct information. Ulquiorra is probably stronger.”

“Maybe you should, Kurosaki.” Renji’s jaw was clenched and his eyes had become slits. Ichigo knew that expression. It was the one Renji got in the midst of a serious fight. “Go get fucked by some Hollow who you won’t have to see when it’s over, one who won’t care about anything except about how you smell and feel. It’s the equivalent of a one night stand I suppose, but you deserve more than that.”

“I just don’t understand. WHY would you want to do this for me when you don’t have to? I don’t believe that you are like the others who just want to be able to say that they’ve fucked the once powerful Substitute Shinigami who saved the world.”

“I want YOU to want to do it - with me. Us. I thought. Damn it Ichigo. I’ve been attracted to you for a while now. I wanted to give you this all the time, I want you to give us a try.”

“But I won’t need it all the time!” Thank God! He didn’t want to ruin what he had with Renji.

“Maybe you’ll want it. What I want really is you.”

“I don’t… bottom.” Ichigo forced the words out. It wasn't that they never talked about sex but this was different.

Renji’s voice dropped. “I’ve heard you are a very generous lover, Ichi.” He licked his bottom lip. Ichigo couldn’t help but follow the movement with his eyes. “But I haven’t bottomed for decades. I would for you though. Why would I do that for YOU?” Renji reached up and tweaked a spike of Ichigo’s hair. “Because I don’t just trust you with my life. I trust you with everything I am.”

Ichigo had to remind himself to breathe. “What?”

Renji moved forward and Ichigo stepped back. Renji’s expression was serious, but there was a light in his eyes. “I trust you with my ass.”

Ichigo shoved Renji away. Renji crashed into the black lacquer table, breaking it in half and shattering the red pottery sake set. “What the fuck Renji?” Ichigo shouted.

Ichigo crossed his arms across his chest and leaned against the wall trying to calm himself as Renji climbed out of the mess and brushed himself off. Byakuya was going to kill them.

Renji sighed and then rubbed the back of his neck. “Look, Ichigo. Let me ask you this. Do you find me attractive at all?”

“Renji, do we really need to…”

“Yes, we fucking well do! Answer the damn question!”

Ichigo looked his friend over from head to toe. He had the tattoos and the build. “You have to know you’re hot.”

Renji grinned. “Ya think so?”

Ichigo rolled his eyes. “Ya. You know the shinigami think so.”

Renji smirked. “But you think so too.”

Ichigo shrugged.

“You do. Admit it.”

Ichigo scowled. “So what if I do.”

“Look, you’re here. You think I’m hot. Let me suck your cock.”

Ichigo blinked. And he blinked. And then he punched Renji.

Renji rubbed his jaw. “What the fuck Ichigo? I offer you a blowjob and you punch me?”

Actually, Ichigo had no idea why he’d done it. “I just wanted to make sure it was you.”

Renji laughed. “Right. So is that a yes?”

“We’re friends.”

“It happens on long missions,” Renji pointed out. “It has happened to you.”

“With a woman,” Ichigo shot back.

“Are you saying you would stop being my friend if I gave you a blowjob when you needed one, Ichigo?”

“I don’t want it to get weird.”

“You think an actual blowjob will make it weirder than this?”

“But…”

“Ichigo, you need to fuck, let me suck your cock.” Renji licked his lips again as he stepped towards the younger man. “Let me show you how good it can be.”

“I’ve had a blowjob from a man.”

“I’m better.”

Ichigo couldn’t help but laugh. “Modest much?”

“You know I’m not.” Renji grinned. “Now you know that pertains to this too.”

Ichigo realized Renji was directly in front of him when taller man dropped to his knees. “I want your cock in my mouth Ichigo. Help me take it out. I want to see what it looks like hard.”

Ichigo felt like he was looking at himself from a distance. Maybe everything was in fast forward and he was caught in slow motion? Just this morning, he’d gone for a run. And then Grimm had showed up and everything had gone to hell.

Now Renji was offering to suck his cock. Renji, his best friend, who he fought side by side with, who he argued with, whom he’d missed while he’d been gone on the mission.

He was jolted back to the present when he felt pressure over his cock. He looked down to see Renji’s large hand over his groin. He couldn’t help but groan.

“You’re hard.”

“Of course I’m fucking hard. This is like some bad porno.”

“Take out your dick Ich, I want it. You need it. You need this. I’m gonna suck it so good.”

“Fuck! Your fucking mouth.”

“You like that I talk dirty.” Renji smirked. Ichigo could see him plotting something. “I only want to make you feel good, Ichigo. Let me do that for you, let me see if I can help you with that extra energy of yours.”

Ichigo narrowed his eyes.

“Take it out, Ichigo.” Ichigo didn’t really know why he complied, other than he trusted Renji and the man was too damn sexy for his own good. But Ichigo laid Zangetsu aside and shrugged his haori off. He figured he didn’t really have much to lose and an orgasm to gain.

He opened the fastenings, his hands coming to a stuttering halt when Renji’s palms pressed against Ichigo’s thighs over his hakama. Ichigo slid his knife off of his hip and handed it to Renji so he could set hit on the floor next to the Zangetsu. Renji’s hands slid up and then into the darkness in the part between the black cloth.

Ichigo’s breathing was shallow and it felt as if there was an extra pressure on his chest squeezing his lungs. His body was engulfed in something more liquid than fire but he thought his skin might peel away.

Renji’s touch was firm and Ichigo couldn’t help but hiss as the warm fingers enclosed him. “You’ve got a good size to you there Ichi.” The fingers trailed up and down the hard flesh. “It’ll be a nice stretch in my mouth. Let’s see what you look like.”

Ichigo looked at Renji’s face as the older man pulled Ichigo’s cock from the folds of his hakama. Renji licked his reddening lips and the dark eyes were entirely focused on Ichigo’s cock. “You’re already drooling for me,” Renji said in a deep voice before brushing his thumb over the head. Ichigo’s hips jerked and his groan turned into a grunt.

Renji smirked and then licked the thumb wet with precum. “You don’t know how bad I’ve wanted this.”

“Ren-ji,” Ichigo growled. His hand shook as he reached out and grabbed the crimson hair in order to yank the hair-tie out and away. If Renji was going to be on his knees, sucking his cock, he was going to see the sexy side of Renji.

Renji’s grin showed teeth. “You think I’m sexy?”

Ichigo refused to give into everything. “Kenpachi would be sexy if he was on his knees about to suck my cock.”

Renji looked at him. “Have you seen his teeth?”

Ichigo grabbed fistfuls of the long hair. “Fuck, Renji, fucking suck my cock!”

Renji chuckled even as he grabbed Ichigo’s left wrist in a tight grip. “No worries, Ichigo, I’m not going to let you go. Not now.”

Ichigo’s teeth were gritted against the urge to pry Renji’s mouth open and shove himself inside. “Renji!”

Renji looked at Ichigo, his pupils blown wide even as he slid his mouth up the side of Ichigo’s cock and rubbed the leaking tip against his lips.

Ichigo couldn’t help the groan that escaped him. What had seemed inconceivable minutes before suddenly felt like they’d done this a thousand times before. It felt amazingly right.

“You taste so fucking good Ichigo,” Renji muttered against the side of Ichigo’s cock. “I’ve dreamed about this, jerked off to thoughts about this, and now I’m going to suck your cock so good you’ll never consider letting anyone else near it.” And Renji took the tip in his mouth and began to suck.

Ichigo’s grip in Renji’s hair tightened. “Oh fuck, Renji,” he grunted as warm heat engulfed him. He couldn’t help but think of what Renji looked like jerking himself off. Renji masturbated to thoughts of Ichigo, that was so damn hot.

Renji tongued and played with the head of Ichigo’s dick while his hands stroked the base and his balls. Ichigo fought to keep himself upright as the energy that had plagued him for the past six months or more began to redirect itself towards his groin, pressing against his lower abs, his thighs and his cock.

“Nnn, more! Suck me harder!” Ichigo demanded, only knowing that he needed release. “I can’t believe you think of me when you jerk off.” Ichigo’s eyes rolled up when Renji sucked one of Ichigo’s balls into his mouth and tongued it. Renji moved on to the second one, clearly not showing favoritism. “Fuck, Renji!”

Renji hummed and then chuckled making Ichigo shudder.

Renji pulled back to examine the now shiny aspects of his work. He pressed a kiss to Ichigo’s left upper thigh. “Are you enjoying yourself Ichi-go?” Renji asked.

Ichigo glared at Renji.

“Answer me, Ichigo. Does it feel good?”

Ichigo licked his lips. His mouth was dry.

“If you don’t answer I stop. Does it feel good”

Ichigo stared down at Renji. Fuck the man was beautiful with the crimson hair down around his face. “Yes.”

Renji reached around and grabbed Ichigo’s ass. “That’s good. Because it’s like anyone before you was just practice so I can blow,” Renji licked Ichigo’s dick from bottom to top. “Your,” He blew on the wet, leaking tip. “Mind.” He took Ichigo in his mouth and swallowed Ichigo all the way down and began to hum.

Renji’s movements were smooth. Sometimes he was fast, sometimes achingly slow. The sound of sucking was obscene in the quiet.

Ichigo couldn’t hold back his moans. He wanted to cum so badly, he needed to cum but he tried to hold it off. He didn’t want cum yet, he loved to watch Renji on his cock.

Renji’s hands were on Ichigo’s hips and his dark eyes stared into Ichigo’s soul. The older shinigami pulled away for a moment and said, “Cum for me, Ichi, cum in my mouth.”

Ichigo opened his mouth to answer only to groan when Renji licked around the head before swallowing it once more and humming as he bobbed.

“Fuck, Renji,” Ichigo hissed. He gritted his teeth. The energy pressure inside him made him feel as though he might split open, the pain and pleasure mingling. He wanted the end, but he just couldn't seem to catch it.

“Too much! The energy. Fuck, I can’t cum!” Ichigo cried out.

Thankfully Renji seemed to understand him. Renji’s left hand moved from Ichigo’s hip to his ass, the middle finger trailed over his crack until it rested just behind Ichigo’s balls. Ichigo felt as if he was being possessed somehow by the older, more experienced male. He couldn’t stop shaking and slammed his head back against the wall, trying to find some release.

Renji fingered the tight balls for a moment, coating his finger in the spit and precum that had collected there and then pushed it back over Ichigo’s hole.

Ichigo’s eyes were closed and it enhanced his senses. His entire being seemed to still as the finger circled the edges, nail lightly teasing the ridges. When Renji’s middle finger pressed inside, he overflowed. And came.

It was as though lighting spread from his center, lighting up his nervous system. “Fuck!” he yelled. His hips jerked in time to pulses of his cock, his body spasmed and then trembled.

He panted and tried to catch his breath when he stopped cumming. But his body wouldn’t stop trembling.

He looked down at the sexy form of Renji before him. Renji was licking his lips. Ichigo swore he could get hard again in seconds if he didn’t stop looking at the older shinigami.

First he needed to get himself under control.

He lifted his left hand from Renji’s hair and held it out before him. He tried to steady it but it visibly shook. He made a fist and bit his lip. Damn it. He clenched his shoulder muscle, then his arm muscles till he reached his wrist and then hand, attempting to force his hand to still, but it still shook. What was wrong?

This was supposed to make him feel better! His skin felt like it was a centimeter larger than his flesh. Why didn’t he feel better? Why did he feel like he craved something he couldn’t name?

“Ichigo?”

Ichigo looked down to see, to his surprise that his his right hand was caressing Renji’s long locks.

“How do you feel?”

The question was filled with concern. Ichigo fought the urge to rage because of it. He didn’t need anyone’s help.

Except that apparently he did.

Renji was here to help him. Ichigo searched his mind for answers even as he fought his body. If he didn’t stop the trembling, would just split apart.

He finally settled for, “Out of control.”

Renji got to his feet and smoothed the edges of Ichigo’s kosode off his shoulders, then slid the hakama down until Ichigo was naked and hard.

“Oi! How is this going to help?”

Renji grinned. “Trust me.”

“I just did!”

“And the fact that you got a blowjob out of it was bad?”

Ichigo blushed and looked away at cabinet that now held shattered glass and broken china. How had that happened? Byakuya was going to be pissed.

“I don’t feel better!”

Renji put his hands on Ichigo’s pecks, his fingers caging the rose hued nipples and then roughly traced upward, abrading the nipples and then tracing Ichigo’s strong shoulders until they gripped Ichigo’s hair.

“It’s the Yokkyuu, Ichigo. And I haven’t had you yet,” Renji whispered into his ear. “You came apart with just my finger pressing there. Imagine what it will be like when you are full of me?” He nipped Ichigo’s earlobe.

Ichigo spun away, ignoring the pain of losing some hair. “I didn’t agree to that!” He pressed himself against the wall to keep himself upright. Damn it, he hated being weak.

“And you’ll go present yourself to Grimmjow or Ulquiorra like this, trembling and aching?”

“I’m not…”

“You’re hard again.”

“You’re sexy?” Ichigo hadn’t really meant to say that. He shrugged, trying for nonchalant despite the way his body seemed ready to give out any second.

Renji smirked and stripped before him.

All Ichigo could do was stare. He knew he should protest. It was the smart thing to do, but all he could do was watch the way the tattoos were revealed. He wanted to trace every black line with his tongue and bite those abs.

His best friend was hard and well endowed. Ichigo felt this was not something he was supposed to know. The knowledge, however, was hot!

“Up here, gorgeous,” Renji pointed at his face.

Damn, but Renji looked smug. Ichigo wanted to punch that look off the red-head’s face. He didn’t think he could stay upright that long. He shifted his balance forward. He sure the hell could try.

“Look, Ichigo. You’re going to have to face the fact that I’m not letting you go to either of the Arrancars.” Renji stalked forward until he was once again in Ichigo’s face.

Without clothes, Renji’s presence was so much… more.

Ichigo fought the urge to touch him. Wait, he was going to hit him!

Renji put his arm out, trapping Ichigo further against the wall.

Renji leaned forward until his lips were centimeters from Ichigo’s. Ichigo could smell himself on Renji, feel the warmth of the larger body on his skin. He stared into Renji’s eyes and realized he craved the contact.

“Kiss me, Ichigo,” the words were a command, but they were said breathlessly. Renji wanted him. He’d said as much.

Ichigo shook his head. This man was his best friend. He couldn’t lose that. This was all too much, he couldn’t just give in.

“You are the most stubborn…” Renji muttered moving until his lips touched Ichigo’s. He nipped at Ichigo’s bottom lip. “Kiss me, my Ichigo.” He demanded, voice deep and rough with want.

The little sting broke Ichigo. He couldn’t stop himself from reaching up and grabbing Renji’s face in his hands and licking at Renji’s mouth. Renji opened his mouth immediately and they mapped each other’s mouths, biting and sucking. Ichigo groaned and sucked on Renji’s tongue. With the taste of himself there, knowing Renji had just sucked him off, he suddenly wanted everything the other man could give him.

Renji gripped Ichigo’s hips hard enough to leave bruises and inserted his knee between Ichigo’s legs.

Ichigo pressed against the hard hip, rubbing. He felt so out of control, the energy inside him and the want for the man before him had him gasping and moaning.

When Renji lifted up, their lips were reddened and plump. They gasped for breath. Ichigo swiped his thumb at the Renji’s mouth lips, wanting to feel them, only to gasp when Renji turned and sucked it into his mouth and bit it. “Oh shit, Ren.”

Renji pulled back far enough that Ichigo could see his thumb in Renji’s mouth. Renji opened his lips and in an obvious motion ran his tongue around the digit.

Their hips continued to move, their precum decreasing the friction and making their cocks move more freely.

“I love the feeling of your dick against mine,” Renji murmured. “And did I mention how good you taste?”

Ichigo ached. Every part of him ached for something he couldn’t identify but at that point he knew it was Renji related. But was it just the Yokkyuu?

Renji reached up placed his hand over Ichigo’s and laced his fingers between the younger shinigami’s from the back. “Do you trust me to take care of your precious people?”

Ichigo started. “What?” He tried to think, but his mind wasn’t in his brain at the moment.

Renji placed a kiss on Ichigo’s palm. “Do you trust me to take care of those you care about? That I would help them if they needed it?”

“Why? Why are you asking me this now?” He scowled.

Renji pressed forward until his body was completely against Ichigo, until he was looking down into Ichigo’s eyes.

Renji’s hand slid up his side and around to hold him tight. “Let me have that burden, just for a little bit. You don’t have to be the strongest all the time.”

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. “I don’t care about that, you know that.” He tried to wriggle free, but Renji held firm.

Renji sighed. “Come with me to the bedroom, Ichigo. Let me take care of you.”

“I don’t need…” Renji kissed him, hard, until Ichigo couldn’t help but groan. He was glad Renji had him pinned against the wall. He wasn’t sure his knees would keep him upright.

“You do.” Renji bent down and picked Ichigo up and threw him over his shoulder. “I should have just done this in the beginning.” They walked down a short, white hallway and turned into a bedroom.

“Oi!” Ichigo shouted in outrage. He grabbed for anything in reach. With his left hand he grabbed a handful of Renji’s ass, with his right, he grabbed a quad.

Renji screeched and dumped Ichigo. The orange head hit the dark wooden floor while the long legs landed on the bed. “Ow!”

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Renji yelled as he rubbed his butt. “You’re lucky I didn’t split your head open!”

“No thanks to you! And what do you mean what do the fuck am I doing? What was that?” Renji looked really tall from the floor. And naked, Ichigo couldn’t forget naked.

Renji stared down at the sight of Ichigo draped off the bed and shook his head. He tried not to laugh. “You really have to do everything the hard way don’t you?”

Ichigo narrowed his eyes and tried to find a way to roll over. He was pretty well stuck. He sighed and rolled over his head and tried to stand upright but his legs gave out as the trembling started up again. He sat on the floor.

Renji looked down at him.“Would you rather I have carried you like a princess?”

Ichigo crossed his arms. “You didn’t have to carry me at all.”

“I’ll be more than happy to fuck you anywhere you want, Ichigo. But I thought you might prefer a bed. And thanks to you I already have nail marks on my ass and nothing to show for it.”

The thought of his nail marks on Renji’s ass did funny things to Ichigo’s stomach. But that didn’t fix the problem he had. He was still fucking shaking.

Renji knelt on one knee in front of Ichigo and reached out a hand. “The floor is hard.”

Ichigo frowned at him.

Renji scowled back. “Think, Ichigo. I know you can.”

Ichigo knew all the damn facts. He knew he had no other choices. He didn’t trust the Arrancars at the best of times, certainly not when he couldn’t fight back. But Renji was important to him.

“I don’t want to break… what we have,” he finally forced himself to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anybody have any thoughts?? Thanks you for your kudos. I'm stuck further on.. so I'm re-reading and editing as it's been pointed out that I chronically change the spelling of a couple of things. So anyone who wants to hop on and discuss the story, let me know. I'd love it!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ichigo finally gives in.

“I’ll be more than happy to fuck you anywhere you want, Ichigo. But I thought you might prefer a bed. And thanks to you I already have nail marks on my ass and nothing to show for it.”

The thought of his nail marks on Renji’s ass did funny things to Ichigo’s stomach. But that didn’t fix the problem he had. He was still fucking shaking.

Renji knelt on one knee in front of Ichigo and reached out a hand. “The floor is hard.”

Ichigo frowned at him.

Renji scowled back. “Think Ichigo. I know you can.”

Ichigo knew all the damn facts. He knew he had no other choices. He didn’t trust the Arrancars at the best of times, certainly not when he couldn’t fight back. But Renji was important to him.

“I don’t want to break… what we have,” he finally forced himself to say.

Renji’s face softened but then the serious look was back. “I won’t let them have you, Ichigo. You don’t get a choice in that. What we are to each other is strong enough to get through this.”

Put that way, how could Ichigo say no? He wouldn’t go to them in this weak condition anyway. He lifted his shaking hand to meet Renji’s.

He yelped when Renji tossed him the 3 feet onto the cream sheets where he bounced slightly. “What the fuck?”

Renji laughed. “You didn’t want me to carry you.”

“You asshole,” Ichigo muttered.

Renji’s smirk made his crimson eyes dance with unholy light. “You might want to change who you’re call’n an asshole.”

“I still haven’t agreed to that.”

Renji crawled onto the bed on his hands and knees and then over Ichigo. “You couldn’t hold yourself up over me if you tried.”

Ichigo opened his mouth to protest but damn it, Renji was right. He wasn’t going to admit it though. Luckily he didn’t have to.

Renji leaned down and kissed him. He ran his lips lazily over Ichigo’s just rubbing them together. Ichigo’s heart pounded in his chest. He couldn’t catch his breath. Renji’s smell surrounded him. It was driving him insane.

Ichigo grabbed the long, red hair. “Stop fucking teasing me.”

“You want something?” Renji asked against Ichigo’s ear.

“Fuck you, Renji. Damn you.”

Renji nibbled on Ichigo’s earlobe. “Nope.”

Renji’s voice was like molten chocolate. That spot behind Ichigo’s ear apparently was a huge turn on for him. He hadn’t known. “Ren!” Ichigo yanked on the long hair. He stared at the heavily decorated ceiling not able to concentrate on the detail in the flowers carved there. He smelled sunshine in Renji’s hair. He’d always been fascinated by it.

“Mmmm, I love when you call me that. Tell me what you want, Ichigo. I bet you can get me to do just about anything when you call me that.”

Ichigo closed his eyes. His body was a mess but he wanted. He told himself it was ok to want it. It was the Yokkyuu that had turned him into this mess. “You, Ren. I want you, all of you.”

“Thank the fuck!” Renji murmured. He pressed himself on top of Ichigo and bit down on the junction of Ichigo’s neck and shoulder hard enough to hurt.

“Ow!” Ichigo yelled. He yanked Renji’s hair, shoving the older man away, but Renji just captured his hands and pinned them to the bed.

Ichigo frowned up at him. “What the fuck was that for?”

“I marked you.” Then Renji kissed him, hard. Renji’s tongue swept inside his mouth as soon as his lips parted and Ichigo lapped at it then sucked on it. He felt Renji’s generous dick against his own, rubbing. His balls were touching Renji’s and that felt so good. The energy inside him writhed, pressing against his flesh. There were so many sensations.

It became too much, he struggled against Renji’s hands, trying to escape. He had to get Renji to release him.

“NNgh!” He groaned.

Renji pulled back.

“Too much! You’re so damn hot.” Ichigo said. “It’s overwhelming.”

Renji nodded. As he did, crimson hair cascaded over his wide shoulders, captivating Ichigo. “Just hang on to me.” Renji released his wrists. “No matter what happens, I have you. I won’t let you go. I promise.”

Ichigo wrapped shaking arms around Renji’s muscular back. He smoothed his hands over ridges, taking a moment to feel the strength they held inside. He wanted to come back and explore those. “Ren,” he opened eyes he hadn’t remembered closing. “Are you sure you really want this?”

Renji’s chuckle sounded a bit more like a growl. “I want you, Kurosaki, Ichigo, like no one I’ve ever met.” His breathing was hoarse. “It got to the point I couldn’t stand to be with anyone intimately. I couldn’t even pretend anymore. They weren’t you. With your orange hair, contrary personality, convoluted sense of justice and massive sense of loyalty. You can’t imagine the dirty things I’ve envisioned doing with you. So yeah, Ichi, I’m pretty sure you’re the idiot I crave.”

“You masturbated to thoughts of me?” Ichigo asked.

Renji grinned ferally. “Oh hell yeah.”

Ichigo blushed. What the hell was he doing blushing?

“You are so cute, my little strawberry!”

“You call me that again and I’ll cut off your cucumber!”

Renji choked, hand automatically going to cover up despite the fact that he was fighting the urge to laugh. “Cucumber?”

Ichigo’s glare did not hide his fiery blush. “I can talk fruits and vegetables with the best of them.” Well now they were just being ridiculous. “Don’t call me a fruit, pineapple head.”

Renji smirked. “Not a good endearment, huh?”

Ichigo scowled and dug his nails into Renji’s lower back. “No.”

“I’ll have to come up with a better one.”

Ichigo let out a huff, making Renji chuckle. “I can’t help teasing you,” Renji said.

Ichigo looked at the ceiling. What was he doing here again? This was a really bad idea. He should have known better.

“Should I tell you about what kind of things I thought about when I jacked off to thoughts of you?” Renji asked.

Ichigo froze.

“Is that a yes?”

Ichigo didn’t move other than trying to deny the way his breathing hitched in his chest and his cheeks heated.

“Hm, I remember this one time, you had just come back from battle. You had Zangetsu swung over your shoulder and your chest was bare but you had been scraped up. Over and over I imagine myself walking up to you and kissing you senseless, or licking your wounds, or cutting the rest of your clothes off with Zabimaru and then sucking you off while you still held your zanpakuto with one hand while your other is in my hair. I wouldn’t care who the fuck was around. I want them all to know you’re mine.”

Ichigo found it difficult to breathe and his dick ached. He wanted to flip Renji over and make him mindless. He knew he should bottom here, but he just felt the need to make Renji understand that he was wanted.

Unfortunately, he was too damn weak, as soon as he went to push against the other man and turn them, his arms fell limply to his sides and his back muscles gave out. He found himself trembling again. He tried to cover himself but Renji trapped his arms. He hated being weak.

The red-head lifted up above him. “What, is the problem? I thought we got over the part where you understood you had to take my cock and let me make you feel really, really good?”

Ichigo took a minute to process that. “I do, I mean I know but I want to make you feel good too.”

“You don’t feel good when you top?” Renji asked.

Ichigo just looked at him. Ok, so that was a stupid thought.

“Or is there a problem with them knowing you’re mine?” The voice was gravelly and Ichigo could tell Renji felt hurt.

Ichigo thought about that. “No, I’d just rather they know you’re mine.”

“You mean to say you’d rather they see you fucking me than me fucking you?” Renji asked laughing. “It’s a bit late for everyone to know you are bottoming at this point. But if it makes you feel manlier, we can arrange for you to make me scream your name somewhere later.”

The younger shinigami couldn’t believe how easy it was for Renji to say stuff like that. “Ah, I.” Ichigo cleared his throat. “The idea sounds good. I am more than willing to make you scream until your throat is raw. But I really would prefer we keep it private. I don’t have thing for fucking in public.”

“No? Too bad. But I do like the idea of keeping your amazingly gorgeous body all,” Renji lifted and kissed Ichigo’s palm, “to,” he kissed Ichigo’s shoulder, “myself,” he finally whispered into Ichigo’s ear before kissing him possessively on the lips.

Ichigo pressed back into the kiss. Yet he really had no choice but to let Renji lead, and fuck the man really knew how to kiss. He was moaning and his cock hurt by the time Renji lifted his head.

It felt so good when the large hand cupped Ichigo’s shoulder and traced over his chest, tweaking his left nipple a bit before massaging his abs and then grasping his cock.

“Fuck I love holding your cock, Ichigo.” Renji’s eyes were so serious and full at that moment, with the crimson hair hanging around his face, Ichigo didn’t know if he’d seen anyone more beautiful. The calloused hand began to pump him and he arched, humming.

“Feel good?”

“Yeah.”

Renji shifted back towards his knees until he was able to place his lips on Ichigo’s cock. They were so soft and pliant compared to the calloused fingers. They darted everywhere, along with the hot, wet tongue tasting his firmness and his balls. Ichigo couldn’t even lift up to watch and he wanted to… so badly.

He whined and then bit his hand. What the fuck? He never made those type of sounds.

Everywhere he trembled and ached. The energy inside him kept pushing, pulsing. He couldn’t help the muted groans that came from him.

“Ichigo, tell me what you need. Don’t hide it.”

“Ren. Need. Soon.”

“Okay, Ichigo. I’m going to put a finger inside you now. Just one, no big deal.”

Ichigo wanted to argue that it wasn’t Renji’s ass, but since Renji HAD volunteered that for later, Ichigo decided to man up. He let Renji slide his knee up and out and then felt the strange slide of a thick finger. It was slick. When had Renji done that?

“Huh.”

“Doesn’t hurt at all does it?” Renji said with more enthusiasm than Ichigo could appreciate at that moment.

“Don’t forget, your time is coming, Taicho.”

Renji chuckled. “And I can’t wait to see what skills you got, Fukutaicho.”

“Skills? You doubt my skills?” Ichigo tried to sit up, but Renji took that moment to slide another finger inside. That stung and he collapsed back on the bed.

“No, I’m quite sure you are excellent at fucking, just like you are at everything else.”

The thoughts of fucking Renji took away the sting of Renji moving the fingers around in his ass, which didn’t feel bad exactly but not good either. Renji spent a lot of time licking Ichigo’s lower abs and inner thighs until Ichigo relaxed.

There was a larger sting and Ichigo grunted and then he moaned when Renji pushed against Ichigo’s prostate.

“But I have a hell of a lot more experience than you.” Renji pressed his prostate again. “Say my name, Ichigo.”

Ichigo was panting. What the fuck was Renji doing? “Get on with the stretching.”

Renji rubbed his prostate and Ichigo arched, moaning. “Say my fucking name!”

“Renji!”

Suddenly Renji’s face was above his. The fingers were playing with his opening, stretching it. “That’s right Ichigo. And never forget it. I know you prefer to fuck your men. But I’m going to make you love taking it up the ass so much you’ll crave my cock, and only my cock.”

Ichigo licked his lips. They were dry from breathing so fast. Holy hell, he loved how Renji talked. “Prove it.”

Renji’s grin verged on a snarl and was insanely sexy.

Three fingers were pressing inside him. Ichigo hissed at the pain, only to moan as that mouth took his dick in, sucking hard. He didn’t know how much time passed but he ached everywhere.

“Oh, fuck!” he muttered, the pleasure balancing out the pain, even though it burned, the energy inside him was trying to escape. It was beginning to tear at him.

Ichigo grabbed the red hair and forced Renji’s head up. “Ren, hurry. I can’t, it’s almost out of control.”

“It’s your first time, and I’m not small. Just give me a little longer.” Renji quickly moved the three fingers around, pressing against the sides, trying to soften them.

Ichigo growled at him. He could do this a bit longer.

“I want to get four inside you.” Renji groaned. “Ichigo, I have three of my fingers deep inside you. You’re so hot and smooth. I’m going to gently pull these almost out and I’m going to add a fourth at least partially. Your ass looks so amazing like this, taking my fingers.”

Ichigo felt so hot, he knew he was flushed from head to toe.

He thought he might rip apart when Renji began to add the fourth finger. He hissed.

Renji licked his dick, and then said, “I can’t wait to be balls deep inside you. My cock aches so bad right now.”

“I hurt all over. Renji. We need to get on with this!”

Renji blinked at him and then the crimson eyes focused and the older shinigami nodded. “This is going to be uncomfortable Ich.”

Ichigo nodded.

Renji slicked himself up. He grabbed a pillow and together they got Ichigo’s hips up. Renji wrapped the younger man's left leg around him but the right he simply tucked up and out on the bed. He made sure he was looking down into Ichigo’s face as he pressed in.

“Now,” Renji said softly.

Ichigo tried not to tense up, but he did. And damn did it hurt.

“Ichigo.” He blinked and looked at the sharp features of the other Shinigami. “I knew I wanted you one day rainy when you kicked Kenpachi’s ass. He stood there with that grin and looked like he wanted to eat you. And I realized I wanted to beat the crap out of him for it. I wanted to bend you over in front of Kenpachi Taicho, Yumichika and Ikkaku and fuck you in the dirtiest ways possible to prove you only wanted me. I imagined having you, on your back, spread at my mercy on the floor of their practice room, sweat dripping off you onto the gleaming floor. I could hear the squeaks when your flesh slid across the wood as I slammed my cock into you hard. And the others would be so jealous that I got your strong, beautiful ass. They were so jealous as they watched.”

Ichigo felt the head of the large cock slip inside him and he moaned even as it burned. “Ren, damn you’re big. And I’m not beautiful.”

“You are too. And I’m just getting started, you haven’t even begun to feel how big I am.”

Ichigo squirmed trying to ease the burn and relieve the feelings inside him.

“Don’t fucking move, Ichigo.”

“Can’t help it. The damn, hollow energy, Yokkyuu or whatever the hell it is, is trying to escape.”

“Through your ass?” Renji asked incredulously.

Ichigo burst into laughter. “Oh, fuck, Ren. Did you have to go there?” It loosened up his muscles and the more experienced male began to slide inside. The incredibly full feeling curtailed his laughing.

Renji touched his nose to Ichigo’s. It was nice to see the older of them blushing. “Sorry. That just came out.”

Ichigo tried to be grumpy even as Renji was filling him so full with careful thrusts. “See that it doesn’t happen again. It’s not like I have any control of this.”

“Yeah, I know.” Renji said softly. “You feel so fucking good. Hot and tight. Shit, I can’t believe I get your virginity. The thought makes me want to cum so bad. Thank you for this.”

Ichigo blushed and looked away even as he realized he was clutching tightly onto Renji’s biceps. “Yeah, can’t think of a better shinigami and all that.”

Renji smirked. “Good to know,” he said so quietly Ichigo almost didn’t hear it. It seemed to take forever, but last they were joined. “You ready?”

He wanted to say something pithy here but he wanted this energy gone, wanted whatever it was between them, so bad. He tried to steady himself. “Fuck me good, Ren.”

“Hell yes.”

Ichigo arched into Renji’s body, his torso rubbing against the tattooed muscles above him as soon as Renji began to slide his cock out.

“Unh,” Ichigo grunted. His breathing quickened. He clawed at the tattooed back in an effort to hold on. The slide was achingly slow. And then he was being filled again.

He couldn’t break contact with the crimson eyes. They were so dark, they seemed to pull him in as they moved together. Finally, it was the sight of Renji’s tongue licking the full lips drew Ichigo’s eyes down.

“Renji! Ren. I… so much.”

Renji bent down next to Ichigo’s ear but didn’t stop the smooth movements.

“What Ichigo? What do you need?”

“So full,” Ichigo gasped out. He grabbed Renji’s ass in one hand. He loved the way it flexed against his palm. “So fucking strong.”

“Yeah, Ichigo. You’re full of my cock.” The older Shinigami rotated his hips when he was fully inside, rubbing every tender surface then pulling out. He shifted slightly and slammed in, forcing his dick against Ichigo’s prostate, making the orange-haired man cry out. “That’s it, isn’t it? That’s you’re special spot and now it’s mine to play with however I want.”

Renji rocked back slowly again.

“Faster,” Ichigo pleaded.

“I want you sobbing with pleasure. The next time you touch that beautiful cock of yours you’ll only think of me.”

Ichigo reached for his cock, but Renji knocked it away.

“Ren, I need to come!” Ichigo protested. “Faster!”

Renji nibbled on his earlobe. “Yeah, you probably do, Ichi. But you’ll come on my cock and you’ll come when when you’re good and fucked.” Renji sped up his rhythm until he was rocking into Ichigo. They were both grunting together. “Feel good Ichigo? Am I hitting your spot just right?” Renji did a one arm push up and looked down on his lover to where they were joined. He ran a finger in Ichigo’s precum.

Ichigo’s arm was slung around Renji’s neck. The fukutaicho’s mouth was open and the cinnamon eyes were glazed as he watched Renji lick the liquid off his fingers.

Renji smirked.

“Is it good?”

Ichigo squeezed Renji’s ass with one hand before wrapping both legs around him and rocking up, trying to speed up the pace.

Renji slapped Ichigo on the thigh. “I’m in charge here, Ichigo.”

The younger man scowled at him.

Renji rocked back until the head of his cock was tugging at the entrance to Ichigo’s ass. “You have a problem with that?”

Ichigo was shaking. He tried to slide down to get onto Renji’s cock. “Fuck, Renji! I need to cum now!”

“Then tell me, my Ichigo, does it feel like you’re going to be able to come on my cock?”

“If you fuck me hard and fast enough!” Ichigo growled out in exasperation.

“Does that mean it feels really good, Ichi?” Renji asked again.

Ichigo was scowling heavily. His brows were creased.

“Answer me Ichigo. Maybe we need to get Grimmjow in here, if I’m not good enough?”

Ichigo’s eyes widened and then shut. He moaned. “No! Fuck, Ren, I just want you. Fuck me, feels so good. I need to cum. Make me cum.”

Renji growled and bit Ichigo’s shoulder even as he slammed their hips together. Their pace became frantic and far from smooth as Renji lost control. Ichigo grunted and huffed every time they came together. It wasn’t long before Ichigo was arching. He had a hand wrapped in crimson hair and another pushing against the wood of the bed frame.

“Ren, now, Please.” Ichigo’s eyes were narrowed with pleasure and pain.

“Cum, beautiful, suck my cock inside your body and eat it with your tight ass.”

Renji felt Ichigo shaking as he worked to cum. Renji palmed Ichigo’s cock stroking it. “I can’t. Renji!” Ichigo cried out.

Renji shoved the narrow hips up and slammed down into them and palmed the dark cock once more.

“Let go, Ichi. I’ve got you.”

Ichigo’s eyes widened. “Pr-promise?” he stuttered.

“Forever.”

Ichigo screamed out his orgasm.

The heat and light washed over Ichigo. It had NEVER been like this. His body shook and he held on to Renji. Renji was real. He heard himself scream the most important name to him even as wetness covered his cheeks. He hadn’t even known he felt that way.

Ichigo clenched around Renji in every way possible, making Renji grunt. The waves of Yokkyuu energy passed through him and he cried out. He looped his arms beneath Ichigo’s shoulders and grabbed the orange hair then began to mouth Ichigo’s skin as the man bucked hard. He needed to be as close as possible. The waves were painful but fucking Ichigo was so good it added to the pleasure. He wanted to cum badly but he had to wait out the energy waves. That was what Kensie had told him.

He didn’t know if he could wait that long. The feeling of moving inside the slick, smooth heat, of the man he loved who was clinging to him grew to be too much and he came, screaming Ichigo’s name.

Renji tried to remember how to breathe. Then he remembered Ichigo.

He pushed up on trembling arms and looked down. “Ichigo?” His voice was gravelly and he coughed to the side.

When Ichigo opened his eyes, Renji felt his breath hitch. The cinnamon colored irises glowed. He didn’t seem to be able to focus yet thought. Ichigo’s lips were plump and wet. He had tear tracks on his cheeks.

Renji fought back a growl of lust. He didn’t know how, but he was hard again. All he wanted to do was to fuck Ichigo again and again.

He pressed a kiss to Ichigo’s cheek and licked at the damp skin. “Ichigo, you are so damn beautiful like this, all fucked out.”

Ichigo groaned.

Renji gave a quick lick to the soft lips and then trailed down. The heat around his cock was slick with his own cum and he shivered as he came free from Ichigo’s ass.

Ichigo hissed. Renji didn’t know where the extra energy came from to go again, but he didn’t care. He lipped at pebbled nipples, smiling when Ichigo moaned softly.

Fuck, he loved this man.

He gripped a muscled thigh, massaging it a bit and noticed that Ichigo too was still hard. He slide his hand up and over the generous erection before taking a long taste of the cum on Ichigo’s abdomen.

“Renji!” Ichigo said breathlessly. He lifted his hips into the redhead’s large palm.

“You’re still hard. How do you feel?”

Ichigo searched Renji’s face and threw an arm up over the cinnamon eyes. “I honestly don’t know,” he muttered.

Renji waited but Ichigo didn’t say anything. Only the sound of their breathing filled the room.

“Why are you hiding from me?” Renji asked, suddenly worried. What if Ichigo didn’t feel the connection he did?

Ichigo’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times.

Renji rolled to Ichigo’s side and propped himself on an elbow. He put his hand in the middle of Ichigo’s chest, the tips of his fingers over Ichigo’s quickly beating heart. He wished his dick wasn’t screaming at him to fuck Ichigo. But Ichigo’s well being was more important to him.

“Talk to me,” Renji demanded.

Ichigo licked his lips and Renji swallowed. His throat was dry. He wanted to pull Ichigo into his arms and reassure him, but he didn’t know if that was what Ichigo needed right now. He didn’t know what to do and he really hated that feeling.

“I’ll go get us some water and something to clean up with, alright?”

Ichigo just nodded.

Renji walked into bathroom and washed himself off. He could tell in the mirror that he had bruises and nail marks all over. He smirked. Well, he thought, Ichigo enjoyed himself. At least Renji thought he had. Renji gathered a sponge and water in a basin and threw a towel over his shoulder.

He ignored the fact that everything in the other room other than the furniture was in pieces Anything that had decorated the shelves or walls was now broken or plain shattered. He told himself not to think. If he didn’t think, he couldn’t panic. He needed to take care of Ichigo. That was his first priority. He couldn’t become a girl and worry whether Ichigo now hated him. If Ichigo hated him, the man would beat him to a pulp.

Yeah, but he’s so needy right now, he’ll do anything he argued with himself. Renji bit his lip wanting to silence the voice of his cock.

He walked over to the bed and looked down on his best friend, his lover. The man was beautiful in all his pale skin and long limbs. And Ichigo was still hiding his eyes behind his arm.

Renji placed the blue and white basin on the bed and wrung out the sponge. He carefully began to wipe Ichigo down. He started with the hard abs. They weren’t as defined as his own, but there was no doubt the Ichigo was strong. After rinsing the sponge and wiping the area again, he lifted Ichigo’s left leg and hesitated at Ichigo’s sound of embarrassment.

“You want me to stop?”

Ichigo shook his head. Renji gently cleansed Ichigo’s hole. It was a deep red, but he didn’t see any blood, thank the heavens. He patted it dry with the soft towel and found he wanted to place a kiss there, to the spot only Renji had touched, had pleasured.

Ichigo’s leg twitched and Renji realized how long he’d been staring. He cleared his throat. “I’ll go get that water now, unless you want tea?”

Ichigo shook his head. Renji assumed that meant water. He set the basin off to the side on the table, ignoring the broken vase and moved off to the kitchen.

This was so unlike Ichigo. Ichigo yelled. He fought. Ichigo only got this silent when something really bothered him. Renji didn’t think he’d ever seen him this vulnerable. It made him want to protect the younger man.

Renji grabbed two glasses of water and set them on a tray and filled a pitcher, adding ice in case they wanted more. If Ichigo stayed. What if he left? Did Ichigo even have that much energy?

Renji was still half hard, and he wasn’t sure why. Was it because of the energy Ichigo had given off? He wiped his hands over his face. He really didn’t want to screw this up. Damn it, he was being a girl about this.

He picked up the black lacquer tray and made his way back to the bedroom. Ichigo hadn’t moved. And he was still hard.

Renji set the tray on the bed, and took a drink of the water. “Do you need help sitting up?”

Ichigo groaned. Renji set the glass on the tray.

“Ichigo, talk to me. I’m beginning to worry here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any thoughts? So what did you think? Was it good, bad? More, less next time? I'm editing this, so if it's popping up, that's why. And just so you know.. I live on comments. I hate to say that. But we writers do.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A time of exploration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if I have mistakes here, please let me know. I don't know as much about Bleach fandom as I could and Ichigo's two bladed Zangetsu confuses me a bit. I'm stuck another hundred or so pages in so if you think you might want to help, drop me a line. Thanks so much!

“That was…” Ichigo began, voice rough, still not uncovering his eyes. “Renji… Fuck.” Ichigo let Renji’s name linger before adding the last word.

Renji felt his heart rate quicken. He picked up the second glass and knelt on the bed. “Let me help you sit up.”

Ichigo dropped the arm from his face. The pillows were torn up a bit but Renji forced them up against the headboard and then helped Ichigo slide up.

Renji noticed the fine trembling in the hands that held the glass while Ichigo drank.

A drop of condensation fell from the glass onto Ichigo’s chest and ran down his abs into slight furring of the hair leading to his groin. Renji fought the urge to chase it with his tongue.

Ichigo handed him the glass back empty.

“You want more?” Renji asked.

Ichigo shook his head.

Renji turned and put the tray on the floor. When he rolled back onto the bed he found Ichigo looking at him with an unreadable expression.

“You’re still hard,” Renji found himself saying for lack of anything better to say. He nearly smacked himself. It wasn’t exactly the smoothest thing he could have come up with.

Ichigo blushed as he ran a hand over his face before letting it drop back to his side and he looked passed Renji’s shoulder. “Ha. Yeah, I noticed that.”

Renji lifted a brow and waited for Ichigo to say something else.

Renji huffed. This was like pulling teeth. “How is the Yokkyuu stuff?”

“Better.”

“Good.” Damn it, now he was beginning to sound like Ichigo. He ran his hands through his hair. “Fuck it,” he muttered.

He loved the way Ichigo’s eyes went wide with surprise as he moved to straddle Ichigo’s hips and settled across the pale thighs before bracing hands against the wall to the sides of Ichigo’s head.

“We are not doing this..silence thing. I thought what we just did was... great.” Renji felt himself blush at that understatement but he ignored it. He did not blush. “I thought you were there with me the entire time. Am I wrong? Did I miss something? Did you not like it?” It hurt to ask that last question. He prided himself on giving pleasure to his partners. He’d thought for certain he could at least do that for Ichigo.

“What? No!” Ichigo was bright red again. He grabbed Renji’s left bicep tight. He looked down and then up into Renji’s eyes. “Fuck! Renji, I have your cum dripping out my ass. And…”

Renji choked. That was not what he’d expected Ichigo to say. He bit his lip to stop from laughing.

Ichigo slapped his side even as a small smile tugged at his lips. “Ass.”

Renji couldn’t help but grin toothily. The grin faded though when Ichigo floundered. The fukutaicho looked down at his lap again.

“What Ichigo? Tell me. You can tell me anything you want. Tell me what you need.” He softly grasped Ichigo’s chin and tilted it upwards so they were looking at each other.

Ichigo rubbed his hand up and down Renji’s left side and Renji wasn’t certain if the other man knew if he was even doing it. “You were right.”

Renji raised a brow. He almost gave some smart-ass comment but held back. “About what?”

Ichigo’s eyes narrowed. “You know!”

“I don’t! Really. Tell me.”

Ichigo licked his lips. Renji couldn’t help but follow the movement with his eyes. “About how it would feel.”

What? Oh! Victory! He smiled and knew it verged on a smirk. “It felt good?”

“You won’t tell anyone?” Ichigo asked, almost so softly that Renji couldn’t hear.

“That you like taking my cock?” They had talked about this.

Ichigo shook his head. “How needy I was.” He said the word as if it was the vilest thing ever.

Renji groaned. He leaned forward and sealed his lips over Ichigo’s. He pressed his thumb against the hinge of Ichigo’s jaw, encouraging him to open up. He ate at Ichigo’s mouth, feeling the other reciprocate. He cupped the back of the man’s head and spread his fingers, holding as much as he could of the precious skull.

He dragged himself away from the drugging taste and licked his lips. “Ichigo. Nothing that happens between us in this or any bed or floor, or desk or chair, will ever leave my mouth. The fact that I can make you needy for me, even once makes my ego so big I may not be able to fit through the door when we leave. I want you to trust me to take care of you. I want you to be able to let everything go and just feel.”

Ichigo grabbed hold of a hunk of Renji’s hair and pulled it over Renji’s shoulder towards him and just held on. The brown eyes looked at the crimson hair. “It was just so overwhelming, your mouth, your size. And I’ve never acted like that… never.” Ichigo looked up. “Never felt like that. Fuck, Ren, you fucked me so good. I want it again.. so bad.”

Renji’s breath caught in his throat and he thought for a moment he might die. He couldn’t though, what he had there, in front of him, was too precious. After what seemed a lifetime, he sucked in a breath and kissed Ichigo.

He ran a finger over the pale freckles that crossed the bridge of Ichigo’s nose and then over his cheek and along his jaw. “I’ll give you as much as you want, Ich, as hard as you want it.” He grinned wickedly. “You have any requests?”

Ichigo just shook his head. “Hard and deep.”

Renji sucked in a breath through his teeth. “You have enough energy to ride me?” He wanted to see Ichigo wild on him.

Ichigo’s brows lifted and he smirked. “I have enough energy to try.”

Renji rolled over and grabbed the jar of lube from under a pillow. He screwed the top off and slicked up three of his fingers and screwed the top back on and then looked down at Ichigo. “I want you so bad.” He moved over his lover, between the spread thighs and licked up the long, thick cock.

Ichigo groaned. Renji gently pressed his fingers to the now soft tissue surrounding Ichigo’s ass. Renji couldn’t help the way his breathing sped up. He hissed softly. “You sore?”

“It feels good. I want more. Don’t tease me.”

Renji looked up. He smirked. “I didn’t mean to, Ichi. I just can’t believe you let me fuck you.” He lifted Ichigo’s long right leg and then the soft balls. “You have no idea how amazing it is to see your gorgeous ass like this. It gapes and drools my cum.”

“Renji!” Ichigo sounded totally embarrassed.

Renji ignored him and leaned down and pressed a kiss beside pretty pink hole. He was the only one who’d been there. He pushed his three fingers back in and felt the walls clench around him.

“Shit! Warn a guy!”

Renji chuckled, watching his fingers moving in and out. He twisted them.

“Fuck, dude, you’d think you’d never seen an asshole clench around fingers before.” Ichigo gritted out.

Renji hummed and then lifted his head. “It’s better because it’s you and you’re filled with my cum.”

Ichigo turned bright red again and Renji had to smile. He wondered if that was going to become a thing for him… make Ichigo blush. Even if he did have to say sappy things. It really didn’t bother him though. He’d waited a long time to make Ichigo his. He wanted Ichigo to feel very wanted and cared for.

He pulled his fingers out and wiped them on the sheets and then moved up to sit back against the headboard. “I don’t know how much strength you have, but I really want to see you ride me, see how much you want my cock inside you.”

Ichigo frowned at him. “God, but you say dirtiest things.” He made to roll over on top of Renji.

“You like it,” Renji said as he caught Ichigo’s muscled arm and helped him up and over on top. He couldn’t believe how right it felt to have Ichigo sitting across him. He reached up and swung his arms around the pale shoulders and pulled him forward. “Kiss me, Ichigo.”

“Yes, Taichou,” Ichigo muttered before kissing Renji.

Their mouths were lazy and Renji ran his hands down the muscled back. He loved knowing Ichigo was strong. His large hand gripped Ichigo’s soft hair and then tilted his head so he could suck on Ichigo’s tongue turning the sloppy kiss into a serious one. He stroked Ichi’s tongue with his own.

Ichigo growled. He bit Renji’s tongue hard enough to hurt. He backed away. “Shit, Ichigo. What was that?”

The cinnamon eyes were narrowed with lust and power.

Renji felt his cock twitch.

“It may be your cock in my ass, but you are going to know who is taking it.” The voice was rough.

“Trust me, I know, Ichi.” He put his hands on Ichigo’s jaw. “I know. I didn’t go into this wanting a fuck buddy. I want a partner.”

Ichigo bent forward and bit Renji’s neck and worried the skin.

Renji arched beneath the wiry body. The pain in his neck spread throughout his limbs. “Shit!” He wrapped his arms around Ichigo once more, fingers digging into hot flesh.

Ichigo lifted his hips up but left his face in the curve of Renji’s shoulder. It was warm. “I’m a lot more complicated than the normal Shinigami, Renji.” Ichigo said and lifted his hips. He reached behind him and grabbed hold of Renji’s dick.

Ichigo’s hand felt so good on him. The callouses on Ichigo’s palm were rough and he could tell Ichigo was trying to get a sense of him.

“Fuck you’re big,” Ichigo murmured as if to himself.

Renji chuckled. “Let’s put it inside you again and then you can tell me that.”

Ichigo shuddered. “I.. Oh, hell, Renji.”

“What? What is it, Ichi?”

“Need you.”

“I’m right here.” Renji slid his hands down to narrow hips. “You hold me where you want me and slide down. I’ll help. It will be okay.”

Ichigo lifted his head up and looked into Renji’s eyes, as if searching for something.

Renji leaned forward to kiss him, but Ichigo leaned back and sat down on the head of Renji’s dick.

Renji exhaled. Ichigo’s eyes closed as he took the head in with a sucking sound.

The heat was exquisite.

\--------  
Ichigo moaned at the feeling of being spread so open. He was trembling and Renji’s hands on his hips were the only thing keeping him from sliding all the way down. “Oh. Oh Fuck, Ren.”

He took a little more. He felt so good, so filled. He arched back and looked up at the ceiling. He couldn’t help but swivel his hips a bit.

“You look so hot on my cock,” Renji rumbled out.

Ichigo lifted his hands to his own hair and pulled. The pain helped ground him, hfelt like he was coming out of his skin. His own cock ached so bad.

He sat down some more, sinking further, unable to stop the slide even though pain ripped through him at the stretch. He hissed.

“Ichigo, take it slow, damnit.”

“Can’t. Need you. Feel so good in me.”

“Not if it hurts you.”

Ichigo was breathing through the pain. He shakily lifted himself up, feeling the muscles release and the pain fade and then more slowly lowered himself.

“Beautiful,” Renji murmured.

Ichigo looked at him. He grabbed the long crimson hair. “How can you say I’m beautiful when you look like sex incarnate?” He rolled his hips now that Renji was completely inside him. “I...” Ichigo began to shake as the energy surged inside him again.

He lifted his hips and slammed himself down on Renji, loving the feeling of his ass hitting the solidness that was Renji. He rocked and lifted. This time Renji lifted up to meet him.

“Ren!”

His hips fell and he rutted against Renji, needing the friction on his cock but not wanting to let Renji’s hair go.

Renji grabbed Ichigo’s ass with one hand and his head with the other and locked Ichigo into a deep kiss. He sucked on Ichigo’s tongue, bit his lips. The long fingers slid down until Ichigo could feel the tip of Renji’s finger almost at the sensitive place they were joined.

Ichigo shivered. They stared into each other’s eyes and breathed for each other while their hips rolled and slammed together until Ichigo collapsed. The long muscular body felt so good against his own.

His lips pressed against Renji’s throat. “Oh, hell, Ren. Need. NOW. Fuck me.” The energy was surging again.

Renji rolled them and then looked down at Ichigo. “You talked about being complicated,” Renji said in a rough voice, sounding as though he was forcing the words. “You talking about Shiro?”

Ichigo tried to control his deep breathing. He narrowed his eyes. “Do you really want to have this discussion now?” He lifted his hips and tightened around Renji’s cock.

Renji growled. “Yeah. He’s what made you so needy you had to come to me. Me! To make you mine I have to satisfy him too, don’t I?”

Ichigo shuddered. He didn’t want to think about this now. The energy inside him was beginning to press against his skin. “Fuck Shiro.” Even as he said the words, he felt the Hollow in his mind. He could see the black and yellow eyes looking at him, greedy with lust, the need to posses.

Shiro laughed.

“Ahhh!” Ichigo cried out, arching in pain and pleasure as the hollow forced more of himself on Ichigo.

Shiro wanted to take over. He wanted to take. He wanted to take Renji.

The idea was so abhorrent that Ichigo immediately rebelled. “Renji is mine!” Ichigo growled.

Shiro laughed again. The high-pitched sound pissed Ichigo off. “I can make him mine. You didn’t want him. Not really,” Shiro argued.

Hollow energy began to wrap around them.

Ichigo stood before Shiro in his mind’s landscape. They both held Zangetsu. Ichigo the knife, Shiro the longer sword. “I will kill you!”

“You would kill me for the Shinigami?” The white face mocked.

“Yes,” Ichigo hissed. He lowered his sword. “Bankai!” He felt the power surround him with satisfaction.

“Ichigo,” Zangetsu’s voice surrounded him. “You are going to kill your mate.”

Ichigo froze.

“He is with you in bed and both your and Shiro’s reiatsu is surging.”

Ichigo stared at Shiro. The hollow smirked. “Let me in, Ichigo. Let me feel it too. It will help with the Yokkyuu.”

Ichigo trembled with fury. “Not this time. This time is mine. I need this to make him mine. My mate” Ichigo paused. He forced the words out. “Ours. I will discuss letting you in a bit. Not fully.”

Shiro grinned maniacally but only nodded, clearly sensing that was all he’d get.

And then Ichigo was back under Renji, who had his head tucked in Ichigo’s neck. He worried Ichigo’s shoulder between his teeth. The fingers of his left hand were tight around the back of Ichigo’s neck, the right dug into an ass cheek.

Ichigo let out a deep breath. He loosened his grip around Renji’s waist.

“You back Ichi?”

“Yeah, discussed with Shiro. I’ll tell you about it later.”

“You said I was yours.” Renji licked up Ichigo’s neck and nipped his ear. “Your mate.”

Ichigo moaned softly at the feeling. He felt his face flush despite the way he was already sweating. He didn’t know what to say. “Yes.”

“Thank fuck.” The tattooed arms shifted and Renji grabbed onto Ichigo’s hair. “I felt your reiatsu, tasted it, it surrounded my cock, Ichigo. I almost came, almost fucked you even though you were in your inner world and not really here. Fuck, I think you might have almost killed me with your reiatsu, with having to wait. But I feel like I’m a part of you now.” Renji huffed out a laugh and took a couple deep breaths. “I’m going to fuck you so hard you’re going to have to lay in this bed for a week. You’re ass will crave cock, my cock, deep inside you filling you up, reminding you that you belong to me. You’re pretty, stretched, pink hole is something only I will ever see.”

Ichigo was so hot. He couldn’t think. Lust rolled through him, matching the energy. They called to him. “Yes.”

“Put your hands up. You’re going to have to keep me from pounding your head into the board.”

Ichigo groaned but hesitated.

“Trust me.”

Ichigo did as he was told.

Renji lifted up, pulled Ichigo’s right leg over a tattooed shoulder and slid all the way out.

They both moaned.

Ichigo felt empty and cold. “Ren?”

The red eyes stared at him. Crimson hair flowed around the striking face. Ichigo didn’t think he could want anyone more. And right then he needed so bad.

“Ask me.” Ichigo barely heard him.

It took a moment to connect. When it did he knew how easy it was to ask now. “Ren, fuck me.” he took a breath. “Please.”

He was filled fast and hard. The rest was a blur reaching for pleasure, arching beneath Renji. The stretch of his body felt so good. He felt full, complete. His ass felt it was on fire but the pleasure was so intense. Flashes of harsh pleasure shook him.

Renji bit his nipple.

Ichigo cried out in surprise. “Ren-ji! Yes.”

“Close?” Renji asked.

“Yes, hell yes. I need it, Ren. Touch me please.”

“You are so gorgeous. You look like you’ve been in a fight, sweaty and straining. Needing pleasure from me.”

Renji ran a hand over Ichigo’s cock and pressed hard.

Ichigo moaned. “Yes! More.”

He felt Reji rock into him harder and faster. “I’ll fuck you through the bed if you want me to.”

Renji’s hand slid up Ichigo’s pale, concave stomach as they writhed together, over his pectorals and then up Ichigo’s left arm.

He tugged until Ichigo brought his arm down. Renji lifted Ichigo’s hand and kissed the palm before lacing their fingers together.

Ichigo couldn’t breathe. He was only able to stare into the beautiful face of his lover, his mate. The word whispered through his mind.

“Ren!”

“Together, Ichigo,” Renji growled and then the wet mouth plundered Ichigo’s.

Ichigo could do nothing but arch his back and cum. He yelled his pleasure into Ren’s mouth.

Ichigo became aware as Renji was wiping him down with a cloth. He grunted. Actually, he wanted to ask the other Shinigami how he had the energy to move. But the grunt was what came out. He knew Renji had fighting stamina, but Ichigo had to admit, at least to himself that he was seriously impressed with Renji’s skills.

“Thirsty?” Renji asked him.

He tried to lift his hand to reach for his… friend… lover.. mate? what? That hand weighed a hell of a lot. Ichigo grunted again. What had Renji done to him? Damn!

Renji’s chuckle was tired but he was smirking and his eyes dancing with a mirth Ichigo would have loved to wipe off.. provided that he could have moved.

“Is that a yes?” Renji lifted his head and helped him sip some water. “I guessed you might be. You were pretty vocal there.”

Ichigo tried to burn Renji with his eyes. He knew he had flushed red, but he wanted Renji to die right there. Why was he embarrassed? Maybe he could embarrass Renji? Somehow he didn’t think so. Was it an age thing?

Renji leaned down and kissed him softly. “No worries, lovely. I really, really like when you tell me how you feel with your body and your noises.”

“Lo-vely?” he gritted out. “Oh, hell no!”

Renji backed off the bed to put the cup on the table and then lay down next to Ichigo. He lay an arm over Ichigo’s abs before lacing their fingers together.

“To me, you are the most beautiful, lovely thing in any world. Go to sleep, Ichigo.”

Ichigo threw his free arm over his face to cover his fire red face. “Asshole,” he muttered.

Renji laughed.

Strangely, Ichigo didn’t feel all that upset.

______

Ichigo woke later feeling disoriented. He felt warm and much more relaxed than usual. The arm around him was heavy and definitely male, as was the thigh trapped between his own. But he didn’t remember bringing home a lover. Especially one he’d let stay over on the first date. He didn’t trust many people that much.

He took another breath and realized who he was with. He blinked his eyes open and saw the jagged edge of a tattoo over smooth, muscled skin, skin he wanted to taste. He stilled as the memories came to him. He bit his lip to keep the sounds at bay but he couldn’t help the shiver that ran through him.

A large calloused hand ran up his back in a soothing motion and he couldn’t help but arch into the sensation like a cat wanting to be petted.

Renji pulled away a bit and looked down at Ichigo with serious eyes. He ran his hand up Ichigo’s back and over his shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

Ichigo frowned. The adjectives that first came to mind weren’t the ones he wanted to say… safe, languid, or treasured. He settled for, “Good.”

Renji smirked in a way that told Ichigo that Renji knew he was holding back and thought it amusing. “Your reiatsu doesn’t seem to be vibrating so much. How is the Yokkyuu?”

“Vibrating?” Ichigo asked. He hoped not. That would be horrible if everyone could sense that.

“I could call you antsy again.”

“Don’t call me antsy.” He frowned but admitted, “It’s better.” He had the urge to say thank you but he didn’t quite want to thank Renji for fucking him. The amused look in the larger man’s eyes said he knew it too.

“Good.” Renji’s big hand lazily trailed down Ichigo’s side and down over his ass cheek and squeezed lightly before coming up and rubbing the smaller man’s lower back. Renji lifted up, leaned over and said into Ichigo’s ear with a deep voice that was like liquid sex, “And your tight little ass? How is that feeling?”

As much as Ichigo wanted to shove Renji away from him for the comment, he moaned and arched, somehow turned on against his will only to gasp at the movement. His eyes closed. “It hurts a bit,” he admitted.

Renji chuckled. “I thought it might. I have some salve that will help with that and we’ll sit in the bath.”

Ichigo was still unsettled by the amount that his best friend turned him on. How did he know just what would turn Ichigo on? Was it his experience? The thought of Renji fucking his way though soul society left a bad taste in Ichigo’s mouth. But Renji had been alive, well he’d existed, for a long time compared to Ichigo. It wasn’t fair for Ichigo to get upset, if that was even what he was. Huh. He just hadn’t thought of Renji, mongrel of Rukongai, fierce fighter, occasional idiot, and best friend in a sexual way before. And now to find him so exceedingly sexual was, well, a bit overwhelming. He kind of wondered how he’d been so blind.

“What are you thinking, Ichigo?” Renji asked.

Ichigo frowned up at him but had a feeling it turned more into a pout. Should he tell him?

“Come on, Ichigo. To make this work, you’re going to have to tell me what you’re thinking. Especially when I have you naked in my arms.”

Ichigo frowned. Renji had a point. This was completely embarrassing though. But he said, “I’m having trouble reevaluating you.”

“This I have to hear.”

Ichigo put his hand on Renji’s chest to push him away, but it was so solid beneath his hand, he just… left it there. He looked away. How the hell did he say this? “I just never thought of you like this...”

“Sexually?”

Thankful that Renji hadn’t pushed it with that devious smirk that flustered the hell out of Ichigo, the younger man turned and met the crimson eyes and nodded. “I’m wondering how I missed it. And,” he paused, debating whether to finish the statement, “If it’s the Yokkyuu that is making it, you, so..” he left off, looking away again and shrugged, unable to help the blush that he felt covering him.

“I’ve never had anyone react to my touch the way you do. It’s heady. Fuck that, it makes me want to cum so hard, so fast. The noises you make are obscenely hot. You’re better than any fantasy I could have imagined.” His big hand clutched Ichigo’s cheek and turned him so they were again facing each other. “If any part of that was the Yokkyuu, whatever is left is more than enough to sear me, I can tell just by lying here with you like this.” Renji ran the hand through Ichigo’s hair and then tugged teasingly on the strands. “And as for you thinking about me sexually? I think that’s because you were so young when we met. We’ve become a lot of things to each other over the years. Then even while I wanted you, I didn’t want to lose you. But when the Yokkyuu came on you, I wasn’t going to let anyone else have you.” He leaned down and Renji’s soft lifts covered Ichigo’s. Ichigo leaned up into the kiss, licking Renji’s lower lip, needing to taste the slight chappedness. “Not if you needed someone to fuck you.”

The devious little smirk was back. It did strange things to Ichigo’s gut.

“Did I do a good job, Ichi?”

Ichigo tried to look away, but Renji still had his head gently cupped. “Fuck you!”

Renji’s chuckle should be rated fucking obscene. “Answer me.”

Ichigo couldn’t help but shiver. “You know you did.”

Renji’s smile was big, lazy and satisfied. He leaned down and said in Ichigo’s ear, after a quick kitten lick, “I will always do whatever you need to satisfy your needs, all of them, if if you don’t always know what they are. My goal is to make you cum your brains out, to scream for me, and to see you satiated.”

Ichigo bit his lip but couldn’t hold back his groan. But he couldn’t just let Renji get away with that. His competitive nature flared. He shoved Renji on his back. He hissed as his lower back cramped and his ass burned but otherwise ignored them.

He stared down into the startled face of his… lover. His mate. He growled and grabbed one of Renji’s arms, shoving it above his head, so that it bent at the elbow. He ran his hand along the sensitive inner side with enough pressure to show he meant business, but not nearly enough to bruise. The skin tugged, pulling the perfectly formed tattoos out of alignment and then released.

Renji groaned. Ichigo pinned the arm with a firm hand to the middle of the underside of Renji’s upper arm.

“What if I’m the one who wants to make YOU scream, Renji? What if I’m the one who wants to keep you pinned to the bed? Will you tremble and shake for me?”

Renji was breathing hard, his lips parted and his pupils blown. He was half hard against Ichigo’s thigh.

“Will you?” Ichigo whispered against Renji’s lips.

Renji strained upwards to reach Ichigo, but Ichigo backed away far enough that Renji could see him and then licked his lips. “Or will you just lay there and take it? Hmm? When you fantasized, did you ever think of me taking you? Of me filling your glorious ass full?”

“Yes,” Renji whispered.

“Did it make you cum?” Ichigo had to know. Fuck he was hard again.

Renji was staring intensely into Ichigo’s eyes. He was fully hard now too. “Fuck yes.”

Ichigo groaned.

Renji smirked again. His free hand came around to massage Ichigo’s sore ass. “But I don’t think your body is quite ready for that.”

“I could do it,” Ichigo protested.

“I’m quite sure you could. But let me take care of you first.”

“I need to take you,” Ichigo stated.

Renji blinked at this. He nodded. “The mate thing?”

Ichigo nodded. “Yeah, I think so. You heard that too huh?” He licked his lips. “I’d want you anyway though.” Renji and his damn tattoos. The man was far too sexy for his own good, not that Ichigo would tell him. The body beneath him felt so large. He’d never had a lover bigger than he was.

“Let me up, Ichigo.”

Ichigo considered and then nodded. He rolled to the side.

Renji got out of the bed, moving like a predator, smoothly and with power. It was something Ichigo hadn’t really taken the time to notice before. Of course the very hard cock Renji had was fascinating as well when he turned.

Ichigo looked up again at Renji’s face to find him smirking again. Ichigo scowled.

“Come, on. Let’s get you feeling better so you can ravage me,” Renji said and held out his hand.

Ichigo couldn’t hold back and huff of laughter even as he groaned in pain at maneuvering off the bed.

Once in the bathroom, after sitting on the toilet, Renji moved him to a wooden stool and set about washing him once more.

The tub was covered in blue and white tile. The water inside steamed invitingly.

Ichigo glared at him. “I am perfectly capable of washing myself.”

“I am perfectly aware of that.” Renji mocked him and held the blue cloth. “I am going to clean up my lover. I fucked him twice, hard and long. He is sore and I would like to take care of his gorgeous body. Now do shut up and let me take care of him.”

Ichigo knew he was bright red, so he turned away from Renji and said nothing. He could feel the older man’s satisfied smile though. He huffed.

Renji chuckled. “You don’t have to do everything yourself, Ichi. Let me take part of your burden.”

“I can wash myself.”

Renji reached around and gently washed around Ichigo’s now soft dick and balls. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.” Renji rinsed him. “Stand up and put your hands on the wall.”

Ichigo looked over his shoulder at where Renji was standing behind him. He fought the urge to argue for no real reason and finally stood as the redhead had asked.

“Spread your legs.”

Ichigo did and very gently Renji wiped Ichigo’s abused hole. Ichigo flinched a bit at the slight sting, surprised. Warm water cascaded down his back, trickling down his cleft.

Large hands gripped his ass, spreading it. Ichigo’s breath hitched as thumbs caressed the opening. It didn’t really feel bad. Renji moved behind him and he turned, startled to see Renji on his knees.

“Renji?”

“I…” Renji licked his hole. Ichigo dropped his head and groaned, his knees suddenly feeling a little weak. “I need to see this,” Renji said. Ichigo felt Renji run a finger over it. “It’s still soft and red. I did this to you. No one else will ever…” Renji’s tongue was on him and then pushing against him. Renji moaned.

It stung but felt good. Ichigo felt himself getting hard. The fact that Renji loved this made his blood heat. He reached a hand around behind himself and felt Renji’s long hair. He had never let anyone rim him before. The reality of having Renji there was mind blowing. He grabbed a fistful of hair and dug his fingers in. It was so silky.

“Ren? Oh, fuck that feels so good. You like your mouth on my ass?”

A long groan and then, “Yes.”

Ichigo shivered at the breath that hit the wet skin around his asshole. “You’re making me so hard.”

One of Renji’s hands stroked gently Ichigo’s thigh, making the skin prickle with heat. Ichigo didn’t know how long passed. Renji pressed his lips to the lower curve of Ichigo’s butt and then nipped it.

His breath hitched. “Renji,” it came out as a whine but he couldn’t help it.

“The Yokkyuu?”

“Yes. No.” Ichigo growled. “I feel so empty. Too achy.”

“You’re already sore.”

“I don’t care. I need you.”

Renji gently freed his hair from Ichigo’s hand and stood. “Let me get the healing balm. That should help.”

Ichigo shivered as Renji stood and moved away. He was back in seconds but it seemed forever. The Yokkyuu was building again. It was as if without Renji it was deciding to take control again.

Renji leaned over him, the big cock rubbing against his aching hole. “You still with me?”

Ichigo reached around and grabbed Renji’s thigh hard enough to leave finger sized bruises. He pressed into the heat behind his back. Renji’s left arm came around and held him tight. “I have you. Deep, even breaths, Ichi.”

Ichigo hadn’t realized his breathing had gotten so out of control. He was trembling.

Both of Renji’s hands ran over the planes of Ichigo’s chest and down. They pinched his nipples, rolling them, making Ichigo arch. When they reached Ichigo’s narrow hips, they circled around and ran up his back. “I’m right here, I’m just going to open the jar and put some of the balm on my fingers.”

“I don’t like that you make me this out of control,” Ichigo muttered.

Renji placed a lubricated finger at Ichigo’s opening and rubbed it around. “I feel the Yokkyuu growing inside you again.”

Ichigo hissed and then relaxed as it grew warm and took away the sting.

“Just trust me, Ichigo. Trust that I will take care of your needs. Do you want my fingers in you?”

“Yes!”

Renji chuckled.

That sound made Ichigo’s cock drool. Not that he’d ever tell Renji that.

Renji had such thick fingers. Ichigo let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “Oh.”

Renji slid it in and out, twisting it. Ichigo shook at the feeling. It felt somehow right. He licked his lips. “More.”

Another finger pressed inside, more gently than Ichigo wanted and he moaned. “Faster.”

“I won’t hurt you.”

“Hurt me.” The voice was skewed higher. Weird.

“Shiro,” Renji replied. “I didn’t know you were joining us.”

Ichigo’s hands curled into the wall. He wanted to push his hollow away but he’d agreed. “I said he could visit. Not take over.”

“I like pain, King, Renji.”

“I will not hurt this body.” Renji turned Ichigo and pressed him up against the wall, one hand holding Ichigo’s wrists above his head, the other holding his chin and then kissed him. Ichigo felt devoured against the cool slickness of the tile. The sound that escaped from him was more from the hollow than his lower tones.

Renji pulled away and looked at Shiro/Ichigo. “I cherish this man, all of him. Including you. I will not hurt him this way. You will take me though. Spread your legs.”

Shiro’s laughter was grating. “You cherish me? What a sappy term, King.”

“Go fuck yourself,” Ichigo muttered.

“Nope, got someone better to do it. Well I hope so anyway. Renji, you gonna fuck the King and I good?” Shiro asked.

Renji was sweating, long hair clinging to his forehead. He stepped away. “No, not yet.”

Ichigo gaped at him, arms still above his head. “What the fuck?”

Renji gave a crooked smile. “Let’s get you in the bath. I can stroke you off there, but you need to heal. I have a feeling that Shiro is going to want it harder than you can take it right now.”

Ichigo narrowed his eyes, his arms down at his sides. “Don’t tell me what I can take.”

“Are you saying you wouldn’t do exactly the same for me?”

“Maybe I like the pain.”

“I think you like a little sting.” Renji put his hands on the wall beside him. “I don’t know that you like actual pain, Ichigo. Do you?” Renji leaned forward and whispered in his ear, “It’s more fun though when your back doesn’t cramp up and your ass doesn’t feel like it’s on fire.”

“Shiro’s not good at waiting,” Ichigo said. He wanted to sound far less needy.

“Just Shiro? I’ve never seen you as being all that patient either,” Renji chuckled in his ear.

“You’re not patient either,” Ichigo defended. He pushed Renji away so they were looking at each other.

“I waited for you, didn’t I? I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you.”

Ichigo opened his mouth to ask why Renji wasn’t fucking him then, but realized what he was about to say and snapped his mouth closed.

Renji’s eyes danced with humor as he turned and walked toward the tub he asked over his shoulder. “You need help?”

Ichigo’s eyes drew together. “No.”

He ignored Renji’s offer of a hand to get into the tub and regretted it an instant later when his back seized but he still managed to settle himself in the tub beside the redhead, groaning as the water hit his sore spots.

Renji tugged on him and he glared at the other shinigami. “Come sit in front of me Ichigo. I want to hold you.”

Ichigo looked at the sweating tiles and thought about the offer. His first instinct was to say hell no. But was that just his pride? Would it have been better if he was holding Renji? Yes, it would. He looked back over the wet, tattooed skin and decided it wouldn’t be a bad place to be. So did it matter if Renji held him? He could allow this for now.

Renji must have read his thought pulled him so he was in Renji’s lap, back against Renji’s muscled chest.

Renji sighed. “You are a very difficult being Ichigo Kurosaki.”

“And you like me. What does that say about you?” Ichigo asked with a smirk, Renji couldn’t see.

“I..”

Two things happened simultaneously. The bathroom door was ripped off it’s hinges and the walls exploded outwards.

Ichigo jumped up, Renji right behind him. Even as the before the debris had landed Ichigo had engaged one of the attackers. But he was weaponless against an opponent with a zanpakuto, someone who was proficient at using it. He might have prevailed, if a second attacker hadn’t come from behind and hit him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading. Kudos and comments are appreciated! Editing at this point so if it pops up let me know.


	5. Chaos... And Grimmjow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chaos. Grimmjow. And a coming together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where the story... diverges, for lack of a better word, explodes might be another. I really hope you enjoy the angst. KizuKatana is the reason Grimm joined. I love that he did, but it made it terribly difficult, and angsty.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez sat on top of a boulder on a bluff overlooking the mansion that held Ichigo and Abarai Taicho. The evening was cool, a breeze had his jacket fluttering. The smell of the organic life that was the forest was still strange to him after the desolateness that was Hueco Mundo.

He’d lost his chance at Ichigo. It didn’t matter that the Yokkyuu would come again for the orange haired man. Grimmjow was certain the damn Shinigami would mate with Abarai. He’d seen the way the damn Pineapple Taicho had held Kurosaki. He wasn’t letting go unless Ichigo refused him. Grimmjow wasn't Ichigo’s nakama like Abarai was. Renji Abarai would fight for Ichigo.

So why the hell was he sitting here as the sun set, lighting the clouds aflame? He didn’t know why he was torturing himself. He’d felt the waves of Ichigo’s Yokkyuu release twice, sensed his hollow put in an appearance when the darker energy flared.

He ran a hand through his blue hair. Ichigo was the reason Grimmjow felt sorrow. Fuck, Kurosaki was the reason Grimmjow felt anything but anger and want. Ichigo had taught him fear and need. He had needed to get closer to Ichigo. To do that he’d do anything, had done anything. He’d even volunteered to become a Visard. It hadn’t happened yet. Hat and sandals hadn’t figured out how yet.

And now he had lost the only reason he’d had for engaging with beings other than his own kind.

He turned to leave. There was no need for him to hurt himself any longer. He could go back to Hueco Mundo now. He could forget how to feel.

The thunderous explosion caught him off guard. Were Kurosaki and the Taicho fighting? Hope filled him at the thought.

Using Sonido, he was on the estate walls taking in the situation in in seconds. It took a moment to see that the two Shinigami were being attacked. Grimmjow never even considered not coming to their assistance.

Dirt and plaster swirled in the air a gray mist that blurred everything. He didn't see Ichigo and cut through two of the attackers before he was at the Taicho’s side. The Shinigami was covered in wounds, blood spilled over the tattooed skin. He could smell the tangy scent of Abarai's life pouring out. White dust clung to them both. He coughed. Grimmjow just managed to parry a sword meant to skewer Abarai but it still bit deep into the shinigami’s side.

“Ichigo!” The wounded shinigami cried out as he crumpled.

Grimmjow looked around frantically but didn’t see Kurosaki. He searched the wreckage but found nothing. He couldn’t sense an ounce of Kurosaki’s spiritual pressure.

He was shaking Abarai, about to demand the shinigami tell him who had attacked when a voice stopped him cold.

“Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, what has occurred here?” Kuchiki Taicho asked.

Grimmjow looked up. The long haired, girly taicho was standing only feet from him. He bristled, his muscles going taught. He was about to attack the man but realized now was not the time. “Someone took Kurosaki.”

________

 

Grimmjow glowered as he paced the cold, white cell. His hands clenched and unclenched rhythmically. His jaw was permanently tightly shut. The front of the cell was lined with gray bars, and behind them were other shadowy but empty cells. The bars were metal of sort and so chill they should have been brittle, but were solid. The smell of the that coldness, one so deep it verged on death permeated the space. And then there was the scent of desperation that clung to everything. Grimmjow wondered if that was just his own smell.

Ichigo was gone. His heart pounded out the words like a mantra and he felt as if every beat poured out his last drop of blood. His heart ached in ways he didn’t know it was capable of. He’d been sad that the berry had chosen pineapple, devastated. But now, for the first time, ever, he was worried.

Ichigo was strong! He knew that. But anyone who took him would also have to be strong. Why had they taken Ichigo? There were too many questions. He didn't do well with inaction all his thoughts did was spun in his mind

He turned, paced seven steps and punched the wall. It crumbled beneath his hand but not completely. His hand ached, but he forgot the sensation almost immediately. It was easy to forget sensation here. Even the sound of wall getting torn apart was muffled. The room diminished his reiatsu significantly. It also dampened sound apparently.

Interesting.

Could he have broken out if he really wanted to? He didn’t need to know.

He would -- because it was for Ichigo.

He wanted information first. Abarai should have told the shinigami what had happened. Maybe they had found Ichigo already.

“Jaegerjaquez, you dislike your accommodations?” Kuchiki Taicho asked from his right, on the other side of bars. His voice was oddly distorted. The sound dipped higher and then lower, making it sound vaguely like a hollow’s. The Taicho would probably hate to hear that that.

Still, Grimm hadn’t heard him approach. He didn’t like being surprised.

“What the fuck? Of course I hate it here. Where the fuck is Kurosaki?” The sound of his own voice was odd as well.

“I came upon a scene where a Taicho is seriously injured, a fuko-taicho is missing, and you’re the only one with a zanpakuto. What conclusions do you expect me to draw?”

“What about the other shinigami I killed?”

“There were others?” A thin black brow lifted.

Grimm tightened his jaw. Fuck! “I fought to get to Abarai. There were others there. I told you that.”

“There were no bodies. Only you and Abarai Taicho.”

Kuchiki was so damn composed. “Then you tell me what happened!” The arrancar demanded.

“I think you came to kill Abarai Taicho so you could take Kurosaki Fukutaicho.”

Grimmjow laughed so hard his chest ached. “If I wanted Abarai dead, he’d be dead. Even I can’t ‘take’ Kurosaki, not if he doesn’t want to be taken. And I don’t want him against his will. But then where is he? And why don’t you ask Abarai what happened? Are you even looking for Kurosaki?”

The long-haired Shinigami Taicho stepped closer to the cell. He was quiet for a long time and appeared to be evaluating Grimmjow.

Grimmjow met his eyes and didn’t look away.

Finally, the Taicho said, “Abarai Taicho is being healed. His injuries were grave. He is still unconscious. He cannot tell us anything.”

Grimmjow was surprised to find himself feeling worry. He had gotten to know the Taicho a bit through Ichigo and found he wasn’t a complete waste of time. Besides, Ichigo would be upset if his pineapple died.

“He will make it?”

Kuchiki Taicho nodded. “There are people looking for Ichigo.”

“Let me look!”

Nelliel stepped from the shadows. “This is the safest place for you right now, Grimmie. Many of the shinigami think you tried to kill Abarai Taicho and have done something to Ichigo.”

“You know I wouldn’t hurt Ichigo! And we talked about this, Nell.”

Nell nodded, her green hair sliding over her shoulder. “We did. And I believe you, Grimmie. But right now I think you would be more of a hindrance than an asset. You know I would do anything for Ichigo. When the time comes, if it will help, I will see you let out.”

Grimmjow froze. “You’d leave me in here?”

“Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, do you trust me?”

Grimm narrowed his eyes. His voice dropped. “This is about Ichigo.”

She nodded her head in understanding.

Grimm punched the opposite wall. His hand bled. He only knew by the quiet dripping of crimson blood hitting the pristine white stone floor.

\-----------------------

Ichigo arched against his restraints in an attempt to loosen them. They were made of some material that looked like red cloth but were strong as metal. What the hell was he doing here?

It hadn’t even been a day ago that he’d been restrained under Renji and that shit had been pleasant. Well, he’d thought it was a day ago. He’d been unconscious for some of that so it was

He remembered being in the bath. And then the attack. He’d woken up strapped to this damn… thing.

Fucking Mayuri Kurotsuchi. What did the freak want with him? As of yet, the shinigami had simply ignored his questions.

Ichigo clenched his teeth as another wave of something painful ran through his body. This was the third ‘test’. This time it felt as though ants were marching through his veins. They crawled up his face and around his eyes. They inched through his balls. It was more sickening than painful. It was just disturbingly wrong and disgusting. He grunted and shivered uncontrollably. He wanted to scratch at them.

The sensation ended. But he was still achingly cold. The wooden block he was secured to felt like ice.

He glared at the bulgy eyed, pink and blue tech who was adjusting controls. He hadn’t seen the Shinigami before. If he had, he’d remember that one. He was just… strange.

“What is taking so long?” Mayuri, Taicho of the 12th demanded. He was looking over the tech’s shoulder.

“His body isn’t reacting as we had planned, Sir.”

Ichigo had observed that he was in some sort of lab made up of the shinigami’s version of tech. It was computer and organic hybrid crap that had always given him the creeps. But the long… purple intestine thing hooked up to cables running from the restraints in his ankles and wrists dripped a thick substance that was seriously disgusting. The lab smelled like burnt flesh and cleaning chemicals.

“What do you want from me Kurotsuchi?” Ichigo asked again.

He had to find a way to escape. Was Renji okay? Shit, Renji was his mate. What effect would this have on the Taicho? At least Shiro hadn’t mated with him. That could have made things worse. Why? He didn’t really know, he just knew that if his life could fuck things up, it would. And he really didn’t want to fuck things up for Renji.

He thought he’d seen Grimm’s blue hair flash in the debris for a moment. Where had he come from? Had he been able to help Renji? Was Grimm okay? Were they together looking for him?

Would they kill each other? He hated to admit it, but he’d kind of grown fond of the blue haired arrancar. But he couldn’t really see them working together.

Another wave hit him, this time unexpectedly. He hadn’t been paying attention.

This was more like a shock that began at his wrists and ankles and burned inward. He clenched his jaw against the pain that was sizzling though him until it hit his gut. It awoke something he thought he’d finished with, the Yokkyuu. He ground his teeth against the aching need and flashes of his intimate time with Renji surrounded him. He could almost smell the shinigami, feel his big hands on his own pale flesh.

This wasn’t real. Renji wasn’t there. Renji. He needed Renji. What if Renji was dead? He couldn’t help the dark thought. The powerful need surged over him. Only Renji could fulfill it. Renji would come for him if he could.

He thought his cock was going to explode and with it his pelvis but then it was over and he could breathe. He felt wetness on his face and on his wrists where he’d tried to pull free. It held the warmth of blood.

“I think we had it that time,” The Taicho said.

“What do you want from me Kurotsuchi?” Ichigo wanted to know. His voice hitched this time.

The painted face smirked. “Control, visard. I am going to use your weakness, the Yokkyuu to control you.”

“You bastard. That will unleash things you have no idea how to deal with! Stop this!” Shit, if he didn’t get away, this bastard would unleash Shiro on the Seireitei. He’d kill his nakama, his subordinates, the shinigami whose life he was responsible for, and those living in the outer areas. He fought against the restraints.

“I don’t think so. I’m looking forward to having the strongest warrior Seireitei has ever known obeying my commands.” Kurotsuchi looked toward his subordinate again. “Longer this time I think. And stronger too.”

He remembered there was something else the Yokkyuu triggered.  
\-----------------------------------------------

 

Renji groaned and tried to move but his body was sluggish. The pain felt distant and there was something he was forgetting. He licked his dry lips with a thick tongue.

“Abarai Taicho?” Hanataro asked, “It is good you are awake.”

Renji shifted his eyes to the left where the voice came from. He smacked his lips. His head began to hurt.

He could tell by the sanitized smell that he was in the 4th.

Water was dripped into his mouth and he swallowed. He looked around the room but couldn’t tell if it were night or day. What was he forgetting? The spot between his eyes ached.

He opened his mouth for more water and got some without having to ask. How had he ended up wounded?

He had been on a long mission? It had seemed to take longer than usual because… because…

“Abarai Taicho,” Renji turned to see Byakuya. “I’m glad to see you awake.” Now his temples felt like someone had shoved a knife in them.

Renji nodded slowly. He moved his right hand so he could see it. It was covered in bandages and his arm felt about an inch longer than usual.

“Don’t move Abarai Taicho,” Hanataro said. Renji ignored him.

“Do you remember what occurred to put you in this state?” His old Taicho and now friend asked.

They’d had a conversation upon his return from the mission, he and Byakuya, in the older shinigami’s office. He remembered that now. It was important. What had they talked about? Something that meant a lot to both of them.

Ichigo!

Flashes of the orange head came to him. He remembered holding back Ichigo from attacking the arrancars, and taking him to the mansion. He remembered Ichigo hitting him.

Oh! He’d had Ichigo. Ichigo had let him fuck him.

Renji licked his lips. He’d met Shiro and then they’d bathed.

“Where’s Ichigo?” He demanded as he shot up into a sitting position. He doubled over, groaning at the pain. He didn’t think his brains were supposed to slosh that way.

  
Byakuya tried to push him down but Renji knocked away the hand. “Tell me!”

“I was rather hoping you could tell me.”

He looked around the room wildly, finding Zabimaru leaning in the corner. Hanataro was still trying to heal him.

“What the fuck does that mean Byakuya?”

“Tell me what happened, Renji,” Byakuya ordered calmly.

Renji noticed parts of him were covered in white powder and remembered the plaster. It looked like someone had wiped a lot of it off his skin already though.

His voice was devoid of emotion as he spoke. He was madly trying to remember anything that might help. “We were in the bath. We were attacked. He was taken.” It hurt to admit that. Hadn’t he just told Ichigo that he would protect the younger shinigami when he was weak?

“Did you recognize your attackers? What of Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez?”

“No. What about him?” Renji wondered. Who had Ichigo? Who was possibly strong enough to take Ichigo? Grimmjow?

“We found him over your body.”

Renji closed his eyes. Grimmjow? What was the arrancar doing there? Ah, there he was, in Renji's memory, stupid blue hair standing out among the wreckage. He remembered. “He got there just as they took Ichigo. He… saved my life.”

“You’re sure?”

Renji looked at the Taicho. “What’s wrong?”

“Do you think he had something to do with the attack?”

“Grimmjow?” Renji thought about it. Gods his head hurt. Why was this hard to think about? “No, he’d kill me, not save me.”

Byakuya huffed.

“What?”

“The arrancar said practically the same thing.”

“Did he say anything else? Does he know who took Ichigo?”

Byakuya shook his head, making the long strands brush over the white Haori. “He was hoping you had some idea.”

“They were masked, had decent skill with their zanpakuto. I should have been able to…”

“Renji, don’t blame yourself. I had guards out. They are dead. Whoever it was had knowledge and skill to be able to knock out Kurosaki Fukotaicho so quickly and get him away.” He looked consideringly at Renji. “Who knew you planned to take him there?”

Renji started to shake his head and then stopped. He thought it would be better to throw up if he waited until after his former Taicho left. “Ikkaku and Madarame. That’s it.”

“Where did you tell them?”

“They visited the 5th to wish me luck. Ikkaku did his stupid luck-luck dance.” Renji’s lips twitched at the memory. “Where’s Grimm? I’m surprised he’s not the one interrogating me. Is he ripping apart everything?”

“He is behind bars. It’s safer that way.”

Renji studied Byakuya. It was true that Renji was somewhat jealous of the Sexta. Ichigo had mentioned going to him for the Yokkyuu and that had angered Renji. But Ichigo cared about Renji. They were best friends. They had promised each other in bed. They were going to be mates. But it hadn’t happened. The attack had come too soon. How did he find Ichigo?

“Grimmjow let you put him there?”

Byakuya was silent for a moment and then nodded.

“You’ve looked for his reiatsu?” Renji demanded. Changing the subject back to Ichigo.

“Of course.”

Renji tried to swing his legs off the bed but all that did was make his head spin faster. He grunted. He had to go find Ichigo.

“You can’t go look for him if you are dead, Abarai Taicho,” Hanataro pointed out. “Please lay down.”

Ichigo was friends with Grimm. What if Grimm could help find Ichigo? Nothing mattered except getting Ichigo back safe.

“You need to bring him here,” Renji told Byakuya.

“Who?”

“Grimmjow,” Renji said.

“Jaegerjaquez? Many think he tried to kill you and took Ichigo.”

“And the SoTaicho?” Renji asked.

“He agreed with the idea of putting Grimmjow in confinement.”

“I need Grimm to help me find Ichigo. He’s the only one who might be able to find him if no one else is. Did you ask how he knew where we were?”

The older shinigami showed no expression. “No. I assumed he followed you.”

“Very few could do that,” Renji said. “I’m going to go look myself if you don’t get him here in an hour.”

“He could have followed you.”

“I’m pretty certain he can follow Ichigo’s reiatsu. Get him here. Ichigo’s my mate. I’ll do anything to get him back.”

He didn’t care that Byakuya looked at him speculatively. He didn’t care that Grimmjow wanted Ichigo. Ichigo had promised himself to Renji. And Renji had promised to protect Ichigo. He turned to Hanataro. “Do your best. Please.”

Hanataro nodded. He looked tired but determined. “If this is all I can do to get Ichigo back then believe that I will do everything in my power.”

Renji nodded. Hanataro had become a third-seat and was considered to be the most powerful healer.

“I know you will. Ichigo is proud of you, Hana. And so am I.” Renji laid back down and concentrated on accepting the healing energy even as he desperately tried to sense Ichigo’s reiatsu.

  
The third seat blushed.

\----------------------------

Grimmjow had been laying on the cold floor staring at the ceiling, deciding when he would break out, when he heard muffled footsteps. He jumped to his feet and watched as Kuchiki Taicho appeared from the left of Grimm’s cell.

The Taicho said nothing, just looked Grimmjow over from head to toe and back again. It made Grimm feel itchy. He held himself perfectly still even though he wanted nothing more than to lunge at the noble.

Minutes actually passed. His desperation for news grew. What if Abarai had died? They might execute Grimmjow. Worse, what if Ichigo was dead?

Finally, the blue haired hollow could stand it no more. “What?” He growled. “Did you find out something about Ichigo? Did Abarai wake up?”

“It’s Kurosaki Fukotaicho and Abarai Taicho.” The long haired male replied as if they had all the time in the world.

Grimmjow growled and forced his hands to unclench. “You know who I mean Byakuya. Why are you here? What news do you have?”

“You are an Arrancar.”

“No shit.” Grimm had a feeling that this man wanted Grimm to show him respect but he didn’t really feel the taicho deserved any. He rubbed his abs with his left hand around the area of the hole that marked him as hollow.

Kuchiki Taicho narrowed his eyes. “You won’t even give up the attitude for the one you love?”

Grimm felt his eyes go wide. “What the fuck are you talking about?” He grabbed the bars and held on despite the bitter cold of the metal.

“You love my fukutaicho. And now, when there is the possibility that there is news, or that you might be able to assist in the search, your more disagreeable attitude shines forth.”

Grimm ignored the love comment. “Can’t you just give me the damn information? You act as if I have been a ‘disagreeable guest.’ I came with you when you asked without protest. I answered your questions truthfully. And what did that get me? You put me in this shitty cell.” Grimmjow shook his hands off the bars and turned his back on the black and white figure. “I played nice, Kuchiki Taicho. Would I continue to do so for Ichigo? Of course I would. He is my nakama. I just can’t believe anyone Ichigo respects as much as he does you could be so petty and small minded as you are currently behaving.”

Grimm sighed when a new thought came to him. “Or maybe he’s just dead and you want to rub it in my face even more. Is that it, Shinigami? You want me to bow to you before you break me? I’m just some lowly Arrancar who met Ichigo and learned what it was like to fucking feel. I’m not stupid Kuchiki Taicho, I know what you and yours think of me.”

“No, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, I don’t think you do.”

Grimm slowly turned around. “And why is that?”

“Because I’m not even sure myself.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Kurosaki Fukutaicho has not been found, nor are there any leads at this time. Abarai Taicho has regained consciousness.

He is demanding you to be brought to him.”

“Why? Does he think I tried to kill him?”

Long black hair shifted over narrow, muscular shoulders as the Shinigami shook his head. “He thinks you might be able to help him track Kurosaki Fukutaicho.”

“Is he recovered?” Grimm asked.

“Not nearly enough to leave the 4th.”

Grimm grinned. He knew Abarai was going to be joining him. There was no way the redhead was going to let him go looking for Ichigo on his own.

It wouldn’t be boring. And Grimm hated boring.

__________

Renji up looked from where he knelt on the floor of his treatment room. He’d changed and washed up slightly.

The Arrancar who had been escorted into his room was not small by any means. For for just a moment wondered if he was doing the right thing. But Ichigo was missing. He’d do anything to save his mate. He was fully aware of how Grimm felt about Ichigo.

“Grimmjow.” Renji said. The Arrancar was still dust covered in spots of dust and blood and there was blood on the knuckles of his hands but other than that he appeared fine.

“Abarai Tacho. I’m glad to see you are still alive.” The words were sincere.

“Somehow that surprises me.” Renji grit his teeth and got to his feet.

Grimm grinned with all his teeth. “Ya. I can see how it might.” The grin faded and he added. “You matter to Ichigo.”

Renji considered that. “You know he’s missing?”

“I do.” The blue eyes were piercing.

“Let’s go find him.”

“I wondered when I was going to get to see why Ichigo chose you.”

“How long were you sitting out there?” Renji asked Grim as they exited the 4th.

“Too long.”

Renji looked at the tense face of the hollow and dropped the line of questioning. “You haven’t sensed him yet?”

Grimm looked at him. “What makes you say that?”

“I figured you would have shook everyone off and gone after him,” Renji explained truthfully.

Grimm nodded at the door where a bunch of shinigami were murmuring and pointing. “It does me no good to find him if I have to fight all of his friends.” He said the last word as though they were nothing more than trash.

“So that’s a no then?”

“No.”

“And you didn’t sense what direction they’d gone?” Renji asked. He was trying very hard not to feel as though he’d failed Ichigo already.

“No.”

Renji grunted. “Let’s head for…”

There was a massive explosion and surge of reiatsu that shook buildings.

“Ichigo!” Renji yelled.

“Fuck!” Grimm shouted. “I’m pretty certain the Yokkyuu is out of control!”

Grimm and Renji looked at each other. They headed to the West.

They paused on top of a watch tower to observe smoke pouring out of the 12th. “Is that the Yokkyuu? What it is? It sounds like Shiro and Ichigo are laughing to me. ” Renji started to shunpo toward the sound but Grimm grabbed his arm.

“Part of having a mate is the ability to control Yokkyuu.” Grimm said. “You mated. I felt it.”

“Not with Shiro.”

Grimm looked at Renji with dawning horror.

Renji hated that he felt the need to explain. “We were attacked first.”

Grimm nodded.

A hollowfied Ichigo appeared on the tower of the 12th’s laboratory. Shiro’s scream echoed over Seireitei. The Sixth division appeared around him. “Let’s go see if we can get through to the idot.” Renji said.

The first time he got a good look at his mate, the man was surrounded by the rubble of what looked like it had at one time been a laboratory. He had the head of in one the seated officers in his hand and he was swinging the shinigami around as if he weighed nothing. Kurotsuchi Taicho was leaning against the remnants of a control panel.

Was this where he had been kept? Renji stared at the laboratory and tried not to think about what kinds of torture Ichigo had been subjected to. Rage rushed through Renji.

“The fucking 12th Taicho had him?” Grimmjow growled. “He was experimen’tn on hm?” Grimm was gone from his side and had a blade pressed to the throat of the head of the research division.

Byakuya was standing at his side, sword also at the Taicho’s throat.

Renji shunpoed to Ichigo’s side. Blood dripped from wounds on Ichigo's wrist where he held up the shinigami. He looked down and saw his mate's feet were covered in blood as well. “Ichigo are you alright? Shiro? Talk to me!”

Ichigo looked at Renji, cocked his head and then threw the researcher to the side where he landed with a crunch of bone. A jar of green liquid on the shelf above the injured shinigami rocked and then fell on top of the bulging eyed male. His scream was deafening. The fluid crackled as it ate at his flesh, mingling with the red of his blood. Red and green swirled across the once pristine white floor, sucking up small rocks and when it came to a spitting conduit, fire flared.

Renji grabbed for Ichigo. He shunpoed out.

The building exploded. Renji was breathing hard and in pain, even as more explosions began to fill the now toxic air. He took them another step away. They hovered in the air, beyond the wall surrounding the twelfth.

Everyone had scattered. He could see members of the Sixth down and injured. He didn’t see Kurotsuchi Taicho, Grimmjow or Byakuya Taicho.

He looked at Ichigo. The hollow eyes showed no recognition. They weren’t even meeting his own. He followed their gaze downward to where he noticed he felt pain. The pain became excruciating.

Ichigo had shoved his hand into Renji’s guts, just above his pelvis on the left side. It was the arm Renji had grabbed to pull him out of the twelfth.

Renji’s eyes widened. “Ichigo? Shiro! Stop! Don’t do this.” He gasped in some air only to cough. Damn but it hurt! “You’ll really hate yourself later if you don’t stop this.” He squeezed Ichigo’s forearm, fingers digging into the muscles to pull it out, shoving himself away at the same time.

The blood covered hand came free with a squelch but Renji didn’t let go. “Damnit Ichigo! You’re piss’n me off!” He drew Zabimaru and swung the base towards Ichigo’s face, hoping to crack the mask.

The tensing of Ichigo’s muscles was all the warning Renji got before he was parrying Zangetsu already in Bankai form. Ichigo now had both the knife and sword he had reforged in the Quincy war.

“What the fuck? Where the hell did you get them?” Renji asked. And in the second time stopped, swords crossed, he looked directly into Ichigo’s hollow eyes. He couldn’t find any sign of his lover.

They parted. Renji gasped in air as they slid away from one another. He knew he was hurt pretty badly. He put his left hand over the gaping wound. It was hell keeping up with Ichigo on a good day. This was NOT a good day.

“Howl Zabimaru!”  
_______

“You’re dead,” Grimmjow told Kurotsuchi Taicho. He had a grip on the Shinigami’s arm, Pantera under the strange headpiece, the blade against the side of the long throat. “I’m going to slice your jugular and you’re going to bleed out.”

The yellow eyes slid towards him until they met his. A white hand pressed against Grimmjow’s forearm, the long black nail forming a strange shadow. “You are nothing but trash. You’re not even worth examining.” He chuckled. “Kurosaki on the other hand, I had to show everyone how dangerous he is when he’s a bitch in heat.”

Grimmjow growled. Pantera slid over the Taicho’s skin, slicing it open until blood trickled into the neck of Kurotsuchi’s uniform.

“But if I could harness that energy, suck it out of him, or make him into a weapon I could control, like my Nemu. Then, well then, he’d be a thing of beauty.”

Fuck this shinigami was bat shit crazy. “You could never control Ichigo.” The blade slid deeper.

The taicho shrugged. “So be it. But now Ichigo can’t control himself either. Who knows, maybe he’ll be like this every time he comes into heat. Everyone can see just how dangerous he is. He’ll be put down like the hollow bitch he is. Control 46 will see him dead. I will be thanked. I’ll even get a new laboratory.”

“Not if you’re fucking dead!” Grimm narrowed his eyes and leaned into the taicho.

Then he heard Renji release his zanpakuto and froze. Kurotsuchi Taicho took advantage of the opportunity and stepped away, laughing. He put both hands under his chin and fluttered his lids.

“The fucking arrancar has a tender heart for Kurosaki. It’s so sweet. You need putting down too. Nemu!”

The female fukutaicho was suddenly in front of Grimmjow. He’d never liked the fukutaicho-thing. It smelled funny.

Kensei Muguruma Taicho was suddenly at his side, crouched in a fighting stance, his gloved hands up. Byakuya Taicho was facing the head researcher.

“I don’t think things will go as you planned Kurotsuchi Taicho. I cannot allow you to get away with harming my fukutaicho.”

“You think you can take me with that pretty toy, boy?” Kurotsuchi laughed.

“Go help Renji, Grimmjow. We have these two. Bring my fukutaicho back alive,” the raven-haired taicho commanded even as he dropped his sword, blade down. “Bankai.”

“I don’t take orders from Shinigami,” Grimmjow grumbled. He exchanged a look with the white haired visard and turned his back on them. Using Sonido, he was at Renji’s side.

Ichigo was in his full hollow mask and Grimmjow could smell the blood and guts on Abarai. This wasn’t how he wanted things to end.

“Fuck Abarai, you decide to try to get it on with Shiro right now? I didn’t know you were into that shit.”

“Shut the hell up, Grimmjow. I had to be close to him to talk to him,” the pineapple said defensively.

“He must have had a hella headache to turn you down like that,” Grimm said.

Abarai’s laugh was low and pained. “I’d have a headache too if that bastard had gotten a hold of me.”

Ichigo stood there, seemingly evaluating the pair of them. He seemed to be in no hurry. Maybe the Taicho was wrong? Maybe he could hear them?

“Yeah well, bad news. Seems The Bat-Shit-Crazy Taicho decided to show everyone how dangerous Ichigo here can be. He figures that if we don’t have to take him out to prevent him from killen everyone here, then Central 46 will have him killed because he can’t be control his Yokkyuu.”

“You’re shitten me,” Abarai said.

They both looked at the hollow form of Ichigo who was now grinning wildly at them. They were probably going to have to fight Ichigo. The thought made his blood pump faster.

“Nope,” Grimmjow replied.

“He could be wrong,” the red-head said, his desperation was easily detectable.

“Yep,” said Grimmjow.

Ichigo started to swing Zangetsu on his finger by its chain.

Grimmjow grinned. He’d was going to get to fight Ichigo Kurosaki.

“Getsuga Tensho,” Ichigo called out.

Grimmjow grabbed Abarai and got them out of the path of the dark energy that carved a path where they had stood moments earlier.

“Heal up. For now, he’s all mine!” Grimmjow said and then answered Ichigo’s call with his own, “Grind Pantera!”

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez laughed as he ducked beneath Ichigo’s thrust. He swatted the blade away with the back of his hand and swept his leg out at the shinigami’s ankles. Ichigo had stepped back before Grimmjow had even completed the movement.

Grimmjow looked into Ichigo’s eyes waiting to see the fire in them, the passion for fighting, but there was nothing. Grimmjow flashed back to the look in Ulquiorra's eyes when they had fought long before and felt himself go flying before he felt the pain of Ichigo’s foot in his sternum.

He grabbed for his reiatsu to steady himself in the air and prepared as Ichigo came at him again. He couldn’t fight the shiver that ran down his spine. Fighting that freak had never really done anything for him. It was good and hard but not enough to make him crave it more than air, not line fighting Ichigo had.

He sidestepped Ichigo’s attack and sonidoed behind him. “Ichigo, what the fuck, bastard? Shiro? Come out and play. Enough of this shit!”

He instinctively arched his back and watched Zengetsu pass by his nose. He had to find a way to crack that mask. He reached for it, and found his bicep burning, sliced by the blade. Again and again he was repulsed by hand, foot or blades. He dripped with sweat and blood.

The fight wasn’t any fun. Sure it was demanding. But the intense drive that pushed Ichigo wasn’t there. The emotions that were so easy to read on the young shinigami’s face despite the frown were absent. He just wanted to end it. He wanted to get his Ichigo back.

He was so absorbed in examining Ichigo’s movements that almost didn’t step aside as Abarai’s fucking huge zanpakuto slid to his left with a scream.

“You looked like you could use some assistance,” the red-head called out.

“Not from your ass.” He watched Ichigo slap the massive head aside.

“Well you weren’t getting it done. And what were you trying to do?” Abarai asked the second question as he moved to stand next to where Grimm was panting.

Ichigo stood across from them, blade tip not even lifted from parallel to the ground as the massive bone snake rested next to Abarai.

Grimmjow growled. “You smell like sweat, blood and wet fur. And I’m trying to break his damn mask.”

“And you look like a damn kitten. I heard ya had a stronger attack or were you just trying to sound bigger than you are?”

“You want me to wreck every damn building you got here?” Grimmjow asked. He scoffed at the kitten comment. “There’s a reason the damn attack worked so well in Hueco Mundo.”

“Yeah there ain’t shit there,” Abarai agreed before with an ease that belied the size of his zanpakuto, he threw his arm, sending out the snake. “You want an invite to the party or what?”

Grimmjow smirked at the tattooed shinigami and then zipped along the spine of the beast. He liked the way it curved and it’s jagged edges served as places to hide for nano-seconds as he approached. In the end, he grabbed the jaw with both hands and came up from the underside, striking Ichigo in the chin with heel of his left foot before spinning around and crouching to watch Ichigo go tumbling. He took Sonidoed and landed directly beside where Ichigo flipped to a stop.

Ichigo parried Grimmjow’s thrust and Grimmjow launched two of his Garra de la Pantera from his left elbow. Only one hit Ichigo, glancing him in the side as he dodged, ripping a hole in his hakama.

“Soo, Zabimaru,” Renji called out. A bright red blast of spiritual energy hit Ichigo.

Grimmjow was shocked Ichigo hadn’t dodged it. He didn’t think it was strong enough to actually kill the shinigami though.

The sound of cracking was welcome as a split appeared over the right eye. A chunk fell off, revealing Ichigo’s eyebrow. Grimmjow felt himself take a deep breath. Before he could take another, Ichigo screamed. White hollow material flowed out of the gap, flaring wildly until it covered the thin figure, silencing the cry.

Abarai attacked then but Grimmjow blocked the monstrous bankai.

“What the fuck? We have him in one place!” Abarai yelled at him.

Grimmjow moved to the Shinigami’s side. “The hollow will swallow you too if you touch him right now.” Grimmjow took in the way Abarai was leaning on his sword after he curled the thing back up. His hair cascaded around his face. He was injured pretty badly. “He’s getting stronger in there." He took a deep breath. "What are you willing to do to save Ichigo?” Grimmjow asked without inflection. He was deadly serious.

Abarai didn’t look away from the cocooned Ichigo. “Anything.”

“You have to show Soul Society Ichigo can be contained during Yokkyuu.” Grimmjow felt Abarai glance at him.

“I haven’t completed the mating.”

Grimmjow nodded. “I know. But whatever Bat-Shit-Crazy Taicho did, at the very least it let Shiro free and pissed the hell out of the bastard hollow. Even once we defeat him, will your power be enough?”

“Fuck, you just want a piece of him for yourself.”

Grimmjow turned to the red-head. “Yeah I want him.”

The white cocoon cracked.

“He’s the only one that ever made me truly feel anything.”

They both stared at the hollow that stepped forward. It’s reiatsu was huge and menacing. Ichigo’s hair had turned darker and came down to his waist. There was a hole in his chest with black lines like spider legs erupting from it..

“Fuck me,” Grimmjow said.

“That’s the form that faced Ulquiorra,” Abarai informed him.

“And won,” Grimmjow added. He’d heard the story. He had barely believed it.

The hollow mask was similar to the one Ichigo usually wore with large horns that came out to the side and up before arching down. The body was perfectly sculpted. Orange hair ringed his neck, ankles and wrists, looking like flames. It was sexy as hell. But it wasn’t his Ichigo. The reiatsu was stark, and rough.

“We need to take a horn off,” the Taicho said.

“At least that. And how do you propose we do it?” Grimmjow asked and darted away as Ichigo’s hollow suddenly attacked. The knife sliced his thigh, parting his hierro like butter. He hissed at the pain. It hadn’t hit anything vital, that time.

Either he or Abarai was going to need to get in close enough to tie up those swords and slow the hollow down. That or all the taicho’s were gonna come in and then Ichigo would be dead.

The hollow bent forward and a red cero started to form between the two horns.

“Fuck you didn’t say he had a fucking cero!” Grimmjow yelled as he formed a Cero Oscuras. There was going to be massive damage from this. The were going to have to end it quickly. “Look out!” He shot it directly at Hollow Ichigo. The explosion was massive as red and black clashed and swirled. It felt as if a wire brush was scraping slowly over his hierro, clawing at any flaws. It ripped his wounds open, causing them to gape.

Buildings disintegrated beneath them and debris flew passed. Smoke filled the air between them but the wind that made Grimmjow’s wounded skin flap, and burn like hell also cleared it. He was relieved beyond belief that Ichigo was still standing. He hadn’t over judged what was needed. But the damn mask was intact.

From behind him he could hear Abarai coughing. “Not dead yet, then?” he called.

“Hell no!”

“Good come here. I have an idea.”  
________

Shit, Renji thought. The plan was nothing but shit. The side effects sucked. And he didn’t have a better plan. Maybe if he wasn’t already so fucked up… but it was what it was. He needed Ichigo back.

He prepared himself, forcing away the pain. You ready Zabimaru?

“Are you certain you can share your mate?” His sword asked.

“You will be sharing as well since you are part of me. It may be the only chance we have. Besides, would you rather he die?” Renji asked.

“Which one?”

They watched the way Grimm moved, fighting against the strongest hollow Renji had ever seen. And that hollow was his mate. He couldn’t help but admire the pair. Orange, black and white vs blue, black and white. They were graceful, powerful, terrifying and sexy. And the odds were that one of the of them would die. Hell, all three of them might die.

“No, Renji, Grimm is willing to sacrifice himself even if he gets nothing out of the deal. He is worthy of at least the attempt. Besides, would not your soft-hearted Ichigo mourn him if he died?”

Renji huffed. He would. “Then let’s go make sure they live, even if I have to put up with that damn smart mouth.”

Grimm’s white figure swooped left and then with a snap that left his tail flicking behind, darted right, directly into Zangetsu’s longest blade.

“Might be fun,” Zabimaru said before stretching forward and screaming at a flick of Renji’s arm.

As Renji approached, he watched Grimm direct Ichigo’s knife into the left side of his body.

Renji didn’t think he’d ever forget the sound of Ichigo’s name in Grimmjow’s pain filled voice.

Without thought, he was next to the two hollows. He wrapped his arms around the white hierro of both males even as Zabimaru wrapped around the three of them.

Grimm released his reiatsu just as the huge maw of Zabimaru appeared over the top of them, releasing a burst of spiritual energy. It didn’t last long, but Renji was barely conscious by the  
time it was over. He felt Zabimaru’s joy at breaking one of Ichigo’s horns and then Renji called Ichigo’s name and released his own reiatsu, he felt it press aside Grimm’s.

Ichigo’s hollow form released it’s reiatsu, pushing back. The energy was bleak, sucking at Renji’s, swallowing it and damning him to an eternity without Ichigo. Renji envisioned his lover, all the time he’d spent with Ichigo, watching him grow as he’d fallen in love with him. He thought of the afternoon they’d had together. But it wasn’t enough against the bleakness before him. Maybe they hadn’t enough time. Maybe Grimm had been right, Renji wasn’t strong enough against this version of Shiro.

Grimm. Chaos. The Arrancar's reiatsu was that and more.

He’d fought against chaos, pushing it away all his life. He’d grown up with it and it had nearly destroyed him. He’d come here and he’d learned regulations and rules that governed life in the Seiritie. He’d more than succeeded here. Ichigo had disrupted that, but only in a good way. Grimm was beyond that. He felt the edges of his reiatsu against Grimm’s, grinding and chewing.  
Grimm might make it so he could never return home again. Without Ichigo, nothing was home.

He smoothed the edges of his red reiatsu with the last of his strength, acknowledging Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez and his power, allowing his to mesh at the edge. The blue power burned him.  
He felt the reiatsu, felt Grimm, call to him against his will. He didn’t expect to feel it overwhelming him. It was like a piece he didn’t know he was missing and he couldn’t help but let it envelop him.

It was as if Grimm slid behind his body. The broad shoulders and narrow hips braced his own even as his flesh felt as if it was stripped from his bones. He screamed as their reiatsu turned violet, overcoming the black, until it surrounded it too.

And then there was nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo... I hope I did the battle scenes at least some justice. I wanted to make this stronger through here and it didn't come out quite the way I wanted, which is why its sat on my computer. I hope you enjoyed. I hate to sound this way, but let me know if you enjoyed. I have some.. issues that make writing harder than it used to be and and it pisses me off that the words seem further from my fingers than they used to.  
> Thank you as always for reading! Please let me know if I made mistakes so I can fix them!


	6. This is safe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again. Sooo, I don't think I need to warn you at this point, but these guys talk a lot --- during everything. So I guess I'm warning you about future dirty talk after things get settled. I hope you enjoy the way these guys interact. It took forever to format this because it didn't translate into the window. Like an hour of work. I really hope you like where this went. Thanks for reading!!! Tell me what you think.

Despite the fact that Renji hurt like hell, he was immediately aware that he was not in the Seireitei. There was a cold biting feel to the atmosphere that told him he was in Hueco Mundo. He immediately made to sit up despite not having opened his eyes. His gut flared with pain.

“Lay down!” Hanataro barked before he’d done much more than brace himself.

Renji did. Why the hell was Hanataro in Hueco Mundo? Why the hell was HE in Hueco Mundo? Where was Ichigo?

He opened his eyes. He was in a stark, white room. He turned his head to the left to see the healer kneeling next to him.

He worked to remember what had happened. He remembered the time spent with Ichigo and Ichigo’s capture. After that things got very confusing. After all, there was a lot of Grimmjow involved. That couldn’t be right.

He could still sense Ichigo, he thought. “Where’s Ichigo? Is he alive?” he croaked.

“Your voice sounds better than you look right now,” Hanataro answered.

“Answer me or I won’t be laying here long, Hana.”

“He’s alive and we’re pretty certain he’s Ichigo.”

Renji ran that through his mind a couple of times. It didn’t sound right. He began to sit up but apparently there was a shinigami on the other side of him prepared for this. They pressed him down.

“Abarai Taicho, you will do him no good if you are not healed.”

“But I don’t understand! What do you mean we are pretty certain he’s Ichigo?”

“Oh! We think you and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez defeated his hollow side.”

Renji’s hand twitched as he tried to touch his side where Ichigo had punched a hole, but it was held down. Grimmjow had helped defeat hollow Ichigo? Had all of that really happened? “Did… Where is Ichigo?”

“He’s in the next room. He needed specialized healing.”

“He’ll live though? You’re sure?” Renji couldn’t help but ask.

“He will, Abarai Taicho.”

“Call me Renji right now, Hana.” He let the healing energy sink into him. There was a question he didn’t really want to ask. He had a feeling he already knew the answer. “Grimmjow’s alive?”

“He was the last time I heard, but he is only barely clinging to life. I do not know if he will make it.”

Renji thought it would be best if he didn’t. Then he wouldn’t have to share Ichigo. He would be forever grateful to the mouthy hollow, but that didn’t mean he wanted to spend his life sharing Ichigo. How would that even work? Would he be expected to put out for the blue-haired menace? He frowned and felt his face hurt.

  
He closed his eyes and tried not to think of how strong and commanding Grimm’s presence had felt when they’d merged their reiatsus. It had been an illusion. Grimm’s white, feline, muscled body hadn’t really been behind him, pressed tight.

He couldn’t make Grimm live or die at this point. It wasn’t in his hands. “Why are we in Hueco Mundo?”

“It will all be explained when you are better,” Hanataro said evasively.

“Hurry so I can see Ichigo.”

“Hai.” Renji heard the soft words he was probably not supposed to hear, “You are very lucky you did not die.”

\-------------------

Renji felt like he’d been on a bender and couldn’t decide if he was still drunk or not. His mouth felt like someone had stuffed an old kimono in it, his throat was drier than the desert outside and his guts churned. He could barely understand what Neliel was telling him.

“You brought us here for our own safety?” He didn’t take his eyes off of Ichigo though who was on the other side of the door, in an old lab, resting behind a kido barrier. He’d stood there, alone in the towering hallway for awhile before the Hollow leader had found him.

“With the destruction Itsygo caused and because you and Grimmie fought too, I might add, there was talk that Ichigo should be killed. The three of you were weak with your injuries. I and and your Sotaicho thought it best if you were brought here,” she explained in her girly voice.

“Damn Kurotsuchi Taicho. He did what he set out to do.” He glanced over his shoulder to make certain the hollow understood. He still after all this time sometimes looked down, for her smaller form.

“The Sotaicho will contact us with news.”

“Is the bastard dead?”

“I don’t know, but I will be certain to find out.”

Renji nodded.

Nelliel put a hand on his shoulder. “Come, you must eat, drink and rest. Itsygo will need you when he awakens. There is something else we need to discuss and here is not the place to do it.”

He looked at her curiously. Her beautiful features gave away nothing but she was right, he admitted, he was no good to Ichigo like this. He needed to at least eat. He couldn’t help but admit he was curious as well. What could she want to talk about?

He disliked the coldness that was Hueco Mundo, even here, in the rebuilt Las Noches.

The hallways echoed soulessly with the sounds of their footfalls and he grew tired far more quickly than he would have liked.

The room she took him to seemed to be her private rooms. Plump, colorful pillows were strewn about the bright furniture. Paintings of lakes and oceans hung on the walls. Here, at least there was color.

Lower level hollows brought food and drink for them. Eating and drinking helped him feel better but he had a feeling nothing but days of uninterrupted sleep with Ichigo at his side were going to make him whole again.

It wasn’t until their plates had been taken that Neliel bent her knees and wrapped her arms around them. She put her chin on the top.  
“You and Grimmie meshed your reiatsu,” she said.

Renji opened his mouth. He closed it when he could think of nothing to say other than to ask what the hell business was it of hers. But he was a Taicho now. He could keep his mouth shut.

“That takes a lot of trust,” she added.

“Or a lot of desperation.”

He wanted to look away from her piercing gaze but couldn’t.

“You bonded with Ichigo. How did Kurotsuchi Taicho take advantage of the Yokkyuu like that?”

“Why should I tell you?”

“Why should I allow you to stay?”

He wanted to remind her how much she owed Ichigo, but he was sure she knew that. He just hated that all these damn people were in his and Ichigo’s damn business. But she did care about Ichigo.

“I bonded with Ichigo but not completely with Shiro. We didn’t think time was of the essence.” He ended that flatly. He didn’t want the sound of his failure to echo in his voice. He failed Ichigo so terribly.

“It shouldn’t have been. He will not see it as a failure,” she said perceptively.

Finally, Renji looked away, he stared out the window at the fake sky. They should add some fake clouds, he thought.

“Why did Grimmie fight with you?”

“To save Ichigo,” Renji answered without thinking.

“Even if he couldn’t ever have him?”

He turned to look at her. Not for the first time, he thought her mask suited her in the way it curved around her head. “Maybe he thought he had a chance, I don’t know. How the hell am I supposed to know what he thinks?”

“You said he did it to save Itsygo. I think so too. He’d do anything for Itsygo. You know that. He’d even let you have Itsygo.”

How did her eyes seem to know fucking everything? Renji pushed himself up until he was able to walk to the window and look out. “What do you want to know Nel?” He ran a hand through his long hair and wished he had a hair-tie.

“You are Ichigo’s chosen mate, Renji Abarai, yet you merged your reiatsu with Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez in order to save him. You would never have done that if you had not trusted trusted Grimmie with Ichigo’s life.”

Renji turned from the window and leaned back against the wall and truly looked at her but her back was to him. Now that didn’t make any sense. How had he trusted Grimmjow? “He pinned Zangetsu's blades. He used his reiatsu because mine might not be enough.”

“You were already badly injured before the fight began. Ichigo thrust his hand into your side. There was no guarantee that you would survive. If Ichigo survived and you did not, they would have found a way to kill him.”

Renji swallowed. “It didn’t happen.” He didn’t want to think about this.

She turned and knelt onto her knees. “Grimmie was your chosen replacement.”

He didn’t have to think about this. “It didn’t happen. I survived.”

“The only reason Itsygo was brought back was because you and Grimmie accepted each other. For the sake of Itsygo, you and Grimmie shared your reiatsu.” Renji remained silent. “Would you have done that with anyone else?”

Renji wondered about that. Would he have done the same with Byakuya? He felt Zabimaru recoil slightly at the idea. The shinigami would never have ventured it. Who else would Ichigo have responded to that would have enough reiatsu? No one else cared about Ichigo as much as he did.

Renji looked up from the white floor. “Probably not.”

She nodded. “His reiatsu would never had reached Itsygo if you had not allowed it to.”

Renji stopped fiddling with his belt and just blinked. “What?”

“You are mated to Itsygo. No one can reach him but through you. You had to allow it. But you didn’t have to merge completely with it. That was your choice.”

“Would we have saved Ichigo without it?”

She shrugged. Despite her five foot 10 inches there was a fragileness about her. Maybe it was only when she talked about those she cared about. “It’s possible.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you are the one that decides if Grimmie lives or dies.”

\-------------------

Ulquiorra led Renji through the long halls to Grimm’s rooms. Renji was tiring but he forced himself not to show it. His side was aching again and he wondered how long that would go on for. He felt it was a kind of penance for having failed Ichigo so badly. He hoped Ichigo never remembered causing the injuries and that no one told him. He was certain though that Ichigo would find out. Then he’d feel guilty. That was just the sort of man he was. Renji was considering how to deal with this when Ulquiorra stopped before a door in one of the towers.

Renji met the black eyes for a moment before he walked passed Ulquiorra into Grimm’s rooms. The living area had white walls, black floors and blue everything else. The couch was blue, the low table was blue. All the throw pillows were patterned in white and blue. He felt the door close behind him and knew he had been left alone.

He walked through the room with the couch to the archway that clearly contained the bed upon which Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez lay. The sheets were a darker shade than his hair and he looked terribly pale on them.

At four rectangular points around the body lay blocks that connected a healing kido. It arced over his body and met in the center. The golden light only sharpened the dark circles under the closed eyes and shadows beneath layers of bandages wrapped around his torso and chest that were slightly stained with blood.

“You look like shit Grimmjow.” He realized it was the first time Grimmjow didn’t have a pithy response. He grinned. “You are a grade A fucking asshole! Damn it! You are so fucking full of yourself I don’t know how you see past your own nose! You are so damn cocky!”

His words seemed to echo in the silence. It wasn’t nearly as satisfying as he’d hoped.

Renji carefully sat on an edge of the round bed at Grimm’s side so as not to disturb the kido. “Damn it, Ichigo was supposed to be mine! I love him! I should have been able to save him on my own! I promised him!” He closed his eyes and pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose to keep any stray tears from falling. “And now I have you too.

“What the fuck am I supposed to do with you? Nel says I actually accepted all of you, not just your assistance. How the hell did that happen?” He looked over the muscular man and remembered the feeling of Grimm’s presence sliding over his, of their reiatsus meshing. He’d never felt more whole than at that moment, despite thinking he was going to probably die.

“But I have a choice. I can choose to just keep Ichigo and have everything I want, or bring you back and get fuck all.”

What the hell would he say to Ichigo? I let Grimmjow die so it could just be the two of us, even though he risked his life to save yours? That somehow he completes me in a way you don’t? How could they do this without killing each other out of jealousy? Could he watch Grimmjow fuck Ichigo?

Nel had said she wouldn’t tell anyone that Grimm’s life was in his hands. But she’d know. And Renji would have killed off one of her best friends because he was a greedy, jealous bastard. And Ichigo actually kinda liked the guy.

He thought it might have been easier to ignore the right thing before he met Ichigo. Ichigo had done this to him. Why the hell did he allow himself to feel all this crap? Just let the guy die and take Ichigo… over and over again.

The kido hummed sofly, the only sound of life that Grimm gave off except except for the tiny movement of his chest.

Fuck it. He didn’t really want to live with the guilt anyway. They lived long lives. He sighed. “I wonder if you’ll even appreciate this.” Renji put out his hand over Grimm’s. Renji pushed some of his reiatsu into his touch. “Stop moping and come back here you pain in the ass. Just remember, I’m in charge.”  
_______________

“Time to wake up Grimmjow,” Pantera told Grimmjow.

They were lounging on a rocky outcropping in the jungle of Grimm’s inner world.

“I thought I was dying,” he said dryly. “That’s what you told me.”

He suddenly remembered everything that had happened to bring him to his inner world. He looked down at his torso to see two bloody wounds. What had happened to Ichigo? His heart pounded. What the fuck happened to Ichigo!

“Apparently someone cares enough to save your ass.”

Grimmjow raised his brows. There were few others out there who would reach out to him. Nelliel would, he supposed.

“They didn’t they just heal me?”

“They couldn’t.”

“Is it Ichigo?” He couldn’t help but be hopeful.

“You feel Ichigo’s reiatsu?” How the cat could sound so sarcastic was a mystery to him. Was Ichigo dead then?

He looked around. Something purple sparkled at the edges of his world at the top of the trees. “What the fuck is that?”

“That’s what’s pulling you back.”

If Ichigo was dead did he even want to go back? Suddenly his chest hurt like a son of a bitch and it wasn’t just the wounds. He gasped for air. Dying seemed like the better option. He tried to recognize the reiatsu at the edges of his world but there was something not right about it.

He pushed himself to stand and staggered. Blood pooled at his feet. He forced back the blackness that fought to overtake him.

This was important. Who was stupid enough to risk sending an open amount of reiatsu into a gravely injured man? Healers had shields so that they were protected but Grimmjow could just as easily grab it and suck it into himself.

Yet to be able to actually see it at the edges of his world like this? There had to be some sort of bond didn’t there? Who the hell was he close enough to if not Ichigo. And he didn’t think he was that close to Ichigo.

Grimmjow reached out, opening a hole in the wall to his world and calling the purple reiatsu to him. It came to him like a soul ribbon but one that was fuzzy at the edges. Once it was almost touching his hand he could finally see that it wasn’t purple at all. It was red and it actually mixed with his own reiatsu.

That shocked him. Who had red reiatsu like this that he’d actually let mesh with his own? He hadn’t even meshed with Ichigo.

“Think Grimmjow, I know you can.” Pantera huffed a laugh.

He glared at the predator who stood beside him. Grimmjow hadn’t even realized he was leaning against the panther to hold himself up.

“What would you have done to save Ichigo?” She asked.

“Anything,” he answered. And knew.

He touched the red swirls that burst along the edges of their mixed reiatsu. He groaned and felt a hand squeeze his own.

“Welcome back Kitten, Zabimaru can’t wait to play,” he heard someone say.

Grimmjow blinked, squinting in the light. His head hurt like hell. He slowly turned toward the voice..Kitten? Zabimaru? What the fuck?

“I’ll go get a healer.”

Grimmjow tightened his fingers on the other’s hand. “You just call me Kitten?” He barely managed to growl the words out of his dry throat. Damn but his head hurt and his throat felt like it held the sands of Hueco Mundo.

A crimson head of hair popped into view. The Shinigami looked away from the Arrancar, towards their joined hands, and then back. “Maybe?”

“Gonna kill you.”

“You have to catch me first.” Renji squeezed his hand. “Let me get a healer.”

“Ichigo?” He had to know.

“He’s going to be fine,” Renji assured him.

Grimmjow let his eyelids fall closed. “‘E did it.”

“Yes we did. Thanks to you.”

\-------------------

Renji stood at the arched window to his guest room and stared out at the patch of blue sky that was visible if he looked upwards. Much of the rest of the roof had been ripped apart and was left that way. He supposed it added variety. He didn’t know. It wasn’t like he was going to ask.

At least he’d gotten some sleep. He thought he’d slept a long time but it was really impossible to tell around the damn place. He just didn’t want to stare at the white that surrounded him in his room any more. Everything was white. What did the Arrancars have against color anyway? He supposed he couldn’t really say that. Nell had some and so did Grimmjow.

Grimmjow was another thing he was trying to avoid that he couldn’t get away from. Thoughts of the arrancar kept popping up right alongside those of Ichigo.

They wouldn’t even let him sit in Ichigo’s room. There was something about how much he was still fluctuating or some crap. All he wanted was to see that his mate was ok. And looking through the doorway made him angry somehow.

The door to his room flew open with a bang that had him drawing Zabimaru to face the intruder.

“Don’t you knock?” He demanded.

“Nope. You’re in my territory now Red.”

Damn but he was just so fucking cocky. “Really, I hadn’t noticed all the white around here, Blue.”

Grimm grinned and walked into the room.

Renji noticed he was favoring his left side just a bit and with his right arm in a sling, his sword hung on the right side of his belts. “Should you be up and around yet?” Renji asked as he sheathed his sword.

Grimmjow shrugged with his left shoulder. “It’s not like I listen to any of those idiots.”

Renji lifted a brow. Now if that wasn’t about the truest thing he’d ever heard… “So what are you doing here?”

“I just got done talking to Nell about the situation,” Grimm sat himself on the white couch, legs spread out, left arm cocked on the back. “Thought you might want an update.”

Renji sat in a white barrel chair and leaned back, crossing his arms and ankles. It was leather, but comfortable. He grunted. He wanted an update but he wasn’t going to admit that to the bastard in front of him. Besides, he wanted to see how far he could push him.

The blazingly blue eyes narrowed and silence reigned for a full two minutes before Grimm huffed. “Ungrateful.” He shook his head but continued. “‘Parently Soul Society Assholes now believe Taicho Crazy-Ass messed with Ichigo and believe Ichigo wasn’t at fault but they don’t trust him anymore.”

“Ichigo?”

Grimmjow looked out the window. “Yeah,” he said softly. “Ichigo’s Taicho killed him though.”

“Crazy ass.” He muttered. “He said he would.” Renji couldn’t help the feeling of triumph that spilled through him. Byakuya had said he would. He just wished he’d been the one to kill the Kurotsuchi Taicho.

As Grimm turned his head slowly back towards Renji, the redhead traced the bone structure of the arrancar’s face with his eyes. Grimm was striking, there was no arguing that fact. He was definitely hot, but he was a mouthy asshole. Loyal to Ichigo. Loyalty was something that Renji was finding meant a lot to him. It made his chest ache strangely when he wondered if Grimm’s loyalty would ever extend to him like it did to Ichigo. He brushed that off as a stupid thought. He and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez were never going to be true nakama. All they had in common was Ichigo. But the loyalty Grimmjow felt meant enough to discuss the inner runnings of Soul Society with an arrancar. They were going to have to work together to get through this.

Renji ran a hand over his hair. It was up in a spiky ponytail again. “I see a lot of the problem being pressure from Central. They’ve never liked Ichigo having so much power. Hell, they fought bringing the Visards back tooth and nail. Seeing him turn into a hollow practically in front of them must have been their worst nightmare. Having one Taicho kill another probably didn’t help anything either.”

There was a knock on the door and tea was brought in. It was set on the white lacquered table between them and then the ram’s head hollow left, closing the door. Renji poured, seeing as how Grimm only had one arm at the moment.

“I’m pretty certain none of them had any idea the extent of his power.” Renji looked down at the dark green tea and blew gently across its surface, more for something to do than to cool it down. He looked up into the blue eyes. “Even Kenpachi wasn’t stupid enough to try to push him into full hollow. But we all had an idea. At least a far better one than they did and they were afraid before he completely lost control.”

Grimm nodded and took a sip of his tea. Renji did the same.

“We’ve proved that we can contain him even at his worst,” Grimm said unnecessarily.

“And we almost died.” Renji leaned forward and put his white cup on the black tray before leaning his elbows on his knees. “Both of us almost died. And I’m pretty certain we caused a hell of a lot of damage.” He added the last with a bit of a smirk.

“They are a bit pissy about that yeah. They have enough fucking shinigamis to rebuild. Don’t know what they’re all shirty about.”

Renji tucked his arms behind his head and leaned back feeling the pull on his sore abs, looking at the ceiling. There was a massive crack running down the left side. He flexed his left foot. His leg muscles still ached a bit from the fight. “Even though we saved him and ourselves, we have to prove we are mated, so they know that future occurrences of Yokkyuu won’t, no can’t, get out of control like that. And,” he ignored the sudden stillness from the other being in the room. “Should we be able to prove that, we have to bring a former Espada into Soul Society permanently. At least on a long term basis. I know that they were talking about naming an Ambassador from Hueco Mundo, but I don’t think you were who they had in mind.” He grinned. It was only half-forced.

Grimm grunted. “I sure the fuck hope not. I’d rather cut off their damn heads than listen to them bitch for more than two seconds. I’m meant to be Chaos and Destruction. Patience isn’t anywhere near either of those.”

“That leaves us with the problem of how to get the very angry, cowardly, assholes of central to accept you, and they barely accepted the idea of the Yokkyuu making him… out of control to some extent to begin with. Then to get them to accept you? Hell I barely accept you and I saw first hand what you were willing to do -- to sacrifice -- for Ichigo.” He lowered his gaze once more until he and Grimm’s eyes met.

There was a strange heat in the blue eyes that Renji had never seen before. It wasn’t the fire of anger or the blue flames of his excitement at a good fight.

He watched as Grimm flowed to his feet, graceful despite his injuries. He stepped on top of the table and over until he came to stand looking down at Renji.

“As much as I fucking hate to admit this, you were willing to sacrifice as much as me.” Grimm said in a low tone.

Renji hated being lower and put his hands on the seat to stand, but Grimm set his good hand to the arm of the chair and brought their faces closes together.

“Why did you let me live Abarai? You could have let me die and you would have kept Ichigo all to yourself.”

“Don’t think I didn’t think about it,” Renji muttered.

“So why?”

Renji forced himself not to look away from the piercing eyes. It felt like they could read him and he loathed it. “What does it matter?”

“Because I can’t stand anyone feeling sorry for me or worse, pitying me.”

Renji snorted. “You’re the last person I would feel sorry for. You’re too strong and far too much of an asshole to pity.”

Grimm grinned. “Just so you understand. But that still doesn’t tell me why you saved me.” Grimm’s face lowered, the eyes grew large and Renji had to fight the urge to push him on his ass.

“Grimm, leave it.”

“Did you fall for me Shinigami?” Grimm taunted when their lips were touching. Renji could feel each puff of air escape between words.

“Fuck no,” Renji replied. He deliberately licked his lips so that he licked Grimm’s as well. The taste was electrifying, but he didn’t give himself any time to dwell on it. He surged to his feet. The two stared at each other, bodies pressed against one another, their faces only a few centimeters apart. Renji was only a bit taller. It was a little disconcerting, he was used to having a greater height advantage but he was more than willing to taking any advantage he could.

“I’m willing to make this work for Ichigo’s sake,” Renji said, in answer to Grimm’s question and in an attempt to walk into the future. He hoped Ichigo didn’t put up too much of a fight. They were all trapped.

Grimm’s eyes narrowed and he smirked. The look did something to Renji’s insides, excited him in a way he told himself firmly had to do with challenges on the battlefield.

“It will have to work in more ways than that, Red. We won’t just be mated to Ichigo, but to each other.” Grimm’s palm was a little cooler than expected when the large hand cupped the side of Renji’s face. “What you missed is this is also you becoming my mate.” The calloused thumb brushed over Renji’s cheek.

Renji fought back a shiver but the glint in the blue eyes told Renji that Grimm knew. His voice grew deeper. “You will submit to me, just like Ichigo will.”

“Fuck you!” Renji growled and grabbed Grimm’s wrist, pulling it away from his face. “I won’t submit to an Arrancar.”

Grimmjow laughed with delight. “You will and you will howl out your fucking pleasure and you’ll watch me do the same to Ichigo.”

Renji shoved him backward, injuries be damned. He hated how hard he was breathing, how hard his heart pounded. His cock was half hard too.

Grimm simply leapt on top of the low table, knees bent, torso leaning forward, perfectly balanced on the balls of his feet. The tea set rattled but nothing was broken. Damn but the man was nimble.

Renji found himself almost wiping the palms of his sweaty hands off, but didn’t want to give away the sign of his nervousness. “If you have to… take me… I have to do the same to you.”

Grimm stood upright, again looking down on him. “Che. Not necessarily. You’ll have to prove you’re strong enough. It doesn’t always happen when one partner is clearly stronger.”

Renji couldn’t help the smirk that appeared. “Oh, I’m more than strong enough, Kitten. I had Ichigo begging for more. And in power, he’s stronger than both of us.”

Grimm growled. “Ichigo has feelings for you.”

Renji stepped onto the table. “He does. But he didn’t want to bottom either.”

“He had no choice.”

Renji hummed. “Maybe I could just make you submit to me. Do you really have a choice?”

Grimm smirked. “In this case it IS my choice. I’m the greater hollow that’s in charge. Shiro isn’t in charge all the time. And I’m not in Yokkyuu.” He pulled out the tie holding Renji’s hair up. Renji felt the tendrils fall about his shoulders. “You look really fucking wanton like this, like you are just waiting to be wrecked.”

Renji tilted his head. “So when you are in Yokkyuu, you get needy too?”

“I just usually fight every strong thing I can find. Kill anything else and fuck a lot. I think Ichigo’s soul side has warped his Yokkyuu a bit. But we’ve seen how hell’a strong he is. Who knows, maybe I’ll let Ichigo do me.”

The idea of watching that was interesting, but right then was about the two of them. Renji grabbed a fist-full of blue hair, tilted the arrogant face and bit Grimm’s lower lip. “You’ll feel my cock in your ass and I promise you’ll want more. I can give it to you any way you want it.” He was astounded at how much he wanted this being beneath him.

Grimm licked his now swollen lip and grinned. “I don’t want it at all Abarai, Renji.” He leaned forward until he was whispering in Renji’s ear. “What I WANT is your tight ass around my cock. I’ll rock you hard and fast. Deep, oh so very deep and I’ll just rub against that special spot of yours.” At the word rub, Grimm began to rock their pelvises together.

Neither was surprised to find the other half hard. Both of them were breathing fast.

“I fuck like I fight, Red. Hard. Intense. With creativity, precision and stamina.” Grimm caught Renji’s mouth just before he could say anything and kissed him. Grimm’s free hand was in Renji’s long hair and pulled him down so he could devour Renji’s lips. His tongue pressed into Renji’s mouth, licking and tasting every part. Renji felt like he was mapping out territory he was planning on returning to. Every once in awhile the fragment of mask scraped his cheek.

Renji swallowed every sound that tried to escape. He’d had really good sex before, but nothing had been like it was with Ichigo. This though, this was different too. There was something between he and Grimmjow. He didn’t know what it was but he enjoyed the challenge. He wanted to wrap his arms around Grimm and make the other wild for just him.

Grimm rubbed their wet lips together and then drug his lips up Renji’s jaw. “I’ll fuck you in front of Ichigo until you’re wrecked, Red, and you’ll only call my name, call out for Grimmjow.”

Renji couldn’t hold back a groan at the thought of the three of them together. He found one hand still in the blue hair, the other pressed against the muscles of Grimmjow’s back.

“You might as well call me Renji, Grimm,” Renji said with some humor. “It wouldn’t be good for Ichigo to come back and think we’ve been,” Renji rubbed the spot behind Grimm’s human looking ear with his thumb and then after a quick nip to the rim, licked there. Grimm shivered. “We wouldn’t want him to think we’ve been fighting.” His resurrection for was a cat after all. Might as well see if behind the ears were sensitive too.

Grimm took Reji’s mouth and licked it. He pressed inside on the second swipe and then began to fuck it with his hot tongue. Renji licked and sucked at the tongue, humming around it as if it were a dick he was blowing.

“But you won’t have to worry about submitting to an Arrancar, Red. You’ll be begging to be fucked by a Visard,” Grimm said into his ear.

Renji leaned back so quick they almost fell off the table.

Grimm kept him upright with a forearm around his back. “I’ve been talking to Urahara. He’s going to turn me into a Visard.”

“What the fuck? Why? When did you start thinking about that? And what was all that talk about being the baddest Arrancar over Ichigo?”

Grimm stepped off the table and after shoving his free hand in his pocket, began to pace in front of the window. He didn’t look at Renji as he said, “I’ve thought about it for a long time. I knew it was the only way I’d have a chance with Ichigo.”

Renji stared down at the Arrancar, suddenly very aware of the mask fragment visible on the side of Grimm’s face.

“Well, now you have Ichigo,” Renji said dryly.

“But we are going to be stuck in Hueco Mundo. They won’t let an Espada into Seireitei. Ichigo won’t be happy with that. It’s the only way to have a chance to get Soul Society to consider letting us in. And about the Arrancar stuff? I like pulling your chain Red.”

Renji sighed and stepped off the table and sat on his chair. He refreshed his tea, glad his hands didn’t shake. He wanted to punch Grimm so hard the skull fragment would break. That would be half the problem right there. Then he wouldn’t need to go to Urahara. “You are a huge fuck’n prick.” Grimm smirked. “The Visard thing, it isn’t 100% is it? Not that I care.”

Grimm gave Renji a look from over his shoulder that called Renji an idiot. “Nothing is 100% especially when Urahara does it.”

Renji forced himself to take a drink of tea. He didn’t like feeling worried about the stupid Arrancar. “If you die, I won’t be able take Ichigo back there I’ve already shown I’m not strong enough. And doesn’t it just about kill the partner if the other dies?”

“If I die, you still come out ahead. You can stay here with him, just the two of you. That’s why I’ll do it before we mate.”

“There’s too much damn white,” Renji grumbled.

Grimm sighed. “Nell will add some color for you.”

Renji sat and watched Grimm pace. He didn’t know what to think. “Did you ever talk to Ichigo about it?”

Grimm snorted. He came to a stop and stared out the window. “He probably wouldn’t have understood and tried to talk me out of it”

Renji put the cup down and walked until he was at Grimm’s shoulder. “I’m sure he would have tried to talk you out of it because it’s unsafe. But I think he knew more than anyone else how much you’ve changed.”

“You seem to know more than you should.”

“I know about what goes on around Ichigo. I know you love him.” Renji put his hair back up in the ponytail. It was wrecked from Grimm’s hands. He sighed. “I don’t think he saw either of us in that light. He was too young when he met us.”

Grimm grunted. “Didn’t think of that.”

“When?” Renji asked, changing the subject.

“Tomorrow,” Grimm answered. “I should be healed by then.”

“Ichigo’s going to be pissed he didn’t have any say in all this.”

“He’s pissed most of the time anyway,” Grimm asserted. “He’ll be pissed we mouth fucked.”

“I thought it was called kissing,” Renji said, flushing.

“That sounds like we have fucking feelings for one another, Red.”

“We do. Loathing.”

Grimm laughed. “That may not be all.”

Renji shrugged then put a hand on Grimm’s shoulder, turning him so they faced one another once more. “Don’t make me explain all this crap alone.”

Grimm looked at him assessingly. “I thought the only Shinigami I’d ever tolerate was Ichigo. I hate the idea I might be wrong.”

Renji shrugged. “You’re an asshole. I’m sure you’ll be one as a Visard.”

\------------------

The next day, Renji was finally allowed to sit in Ichigo’s room. He looked down at the orange haired man. “You are going to be beyond pissed when you find out everything that’s happened,” he said to his unconscious mate. “Grimm left this morning to see Kiske. I’m actually kinda worried. Course I’d never tell anyone that if they could hear me. And I only care cause you’d care, of course.”

The room was white and sterile. It smelled of Hanataro’s healing kido, bright, strong, like deep running water. They’d moved him from the room that looked like it had once been the lab of the Espade Szayelaporro Granz. Ichigo now lay on a circular white bed. A sheet was pulled up to the middle of his chest. The top of his chest and arms were bandaged. He looked so damn pale. Renji ached to touch him but the healing kido was still in effect and Hanataro would kick his ass if he messed up all the work they’d put into Ichigo. And in truth, Renji was a little afraid to touch his mate for fear of hurting him. He and Grimm had practically skinned the younger man.

He noticed that the freckles he so adored that ran over the bridge of Ichigo’s nose and over his cheekbones were missing. He hoped they’d come back.

“So, Ichigo, how do you really feel about Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez? I’d really like to know what you think because I really don’t have a fucking clue how I feel about him. And now that he might not survive and his survival isn’t on me? Why am I not hoping he doesn’t make it through? Shit!”

Renji put his hand as close as he dared to the orangish red of the healing kido and stared at Ichigo’s face. Nothing ever went normal around Ichigo. Renji thought he’d prepared himself for things to be strange. But THIS? This was all fucked up. Did he regret it or wish he hadn’t gone after his Ichigo. Renji shook his head. No, he still wanted Ichigo at his side, no matter what. Even if that meant having to deal with Grimm.  
____

Ichigo and Shiro had been fighting for hours. The battle skipped between hollowed out shells of sideways skyscrapers half filled with water. The sky shown achingly pale blue above them, as if it had been almost washed of color.

The combatants were panting hard and bent over a bit at the waist. Sweat dripped off their faces. Ichigo didn’t notice the smell of disintegrating concrete and brackish water anymore than he did blood that trickled down from his forehead. He was long past that. They had traded blows filled with anger, pain and frustration. They hadn’t even spoken.

“You let that fucking clown steal our mate from us!” Shiro finally screamed before rushing at Ichigo and slashing at him with white Zangetsu.

“You think I wanted that? That I wanted you to take over?” Ichigo yelled back as he blocked.

“That wasn’t even me!” Shiro cried out. “I would have at least had fun fighting the Red Pineapple. He is your mate. I might have heard him yelling for us to stop! You! You are weak! I should be King. Abarai is mine!”

“NO!” Ichigo insisted, pressing the hollow back. Nothing about this argument made sense. He didn’t even remember the events they were arguing about. But he knew Renji was his and he would kill Shiro before he’d let the hollow take him. “I won’t let anyone take him from me!”

“Then show me you can beat me here or you don’t deserve him!”

\-----------

Ichigo awakened a little after noon the next day. To say he was confused was an understatement. Everything felt wrong. He was in pain, from his intense headache to his toes, which he obediently wiggled for Hanataro. He started to turn his head to the right but all he could see was white and even that little movement felt as if a knife was peeling away his muscles. He felt his heart rate pick up.

“Hana! Where Is Renji?” He couldn’t remember anything after getting into the tub with the man. “Is Renji ok?”

“Ichigo I need you to remain quiet a little longer.”

That meant something was wrong and they were waiting to tell him the bad news. He tried to lift his hand but it felt far too heavy. “Hanataro, where’s Renji?”

“Ichigo if you don’t shut up, I will knock you back out.”

Suddenly aware of Hanataro’s heavy, angry reiatsu, Ichigo shut up.

“Don’t pout. I’ll send Renji to you in a few minutes.”

Ichigo blushed and tucked his big lip back in. “I’m sorry, but I don’t remember anything and I don’t even know where we are.”

“Shh, Ichigo. Everything will turn out alright. You’ll see.”

This did not make Ichigo feel any better. How long had he been unconscious? Why was Hantaro reassuring him anyway? Ichigo forced himself to take deep breaths and remain calm so that Hanataro would allow Renji to see him. He knew if he panicked Renji would be kept out. And not only did he desperately need to see that Renji wasn’t hurt, he needed some answers.

Finally, Renji sat next to him and leaned over so Ichigo didn’t have to turn his head much. Thanks to whatever Hana had done, the pain had lessened as well. “Renji,” Ichigo mouthed, only a breathy sound emerging.

His right arm twitched as he tried to reach out for his mate.

He felt a gentle pressure there and let his hand drop back. “Ichigo, don’t move. It’s ok. I’m here. I’ve been waiting for you to wake up.” The large hand lay over his bandaged hand was comforting. “It doesn’t hurt if I put my hand here does it?” Renji asked with soft concern.

“It’s good.” Ichigo cleared his throat. “How long has it been?”

Renji hesitated and looked away, clearly uncomfortable.

“Renji just tell me.”

“5 days since Kurotsuchi Taicho kidnapped you.”

Ichigo head flared with renewed pain and he bit his lip against the feeling that someone was knifing him in the temples. Lighting painted the darkness behind his closed eyes. He remembered. The lab.

Ichigo’s breathing sped up. He shivered. Fuck it was cold. He was so cold. Kurotsuchi’s laughter filled his ears.

“Ichigo!”

Renji?

“Ichigo!”

Ichigo blinked. He was certain he heard Renji. Was Renji here with him?

“Ichigo, you need to relax,” came Hanataro’s strangely insistent voice.

“Ichigo, it’s ok, you’re safe now.”

“Renji?”

“I’m right here Ichigo.”

Ichigo turned to the right a bit and there was Renji standing in a sea of whiteness. Where the hell were they? There was nowhere that white except in Las Noches. Ichigo was starting to feel warm again. “Renji what the hell is going on?”

“It’s a long story, Ichigo.” Renji sighed.

“And obviously he’s not up for it yet,” Hanataro interrupted.

Ichigo wanted to protest but Renji tiredly nodded. “You’re right, Hana.”

“You can stay, but don’t talk about what happened, do you understand Abarai Taicho?”

“Yes, Hanataro.”

“Then I’ll be going.”

“Thank you,” Renji said but didn’t lift his eyes from Ichigo’s face. When the door closed he sat on the bed next to Ichigo’s head.

“Where are we?” Ichigo asked.

Renji brushed the matted hair from Ichigo’s forehead. “Safe.”

“Las Noches is safe?” Ichigo demanded incredulously.

“Ichigo you need to stop asking questions. Just let me be happy you’re alive. There was a time when we thought you wouldn’t survive.”

Who was ‘we’ Ichigo wanted to ask. ‘We’ as in Hanataro?

“Ichigo, I love you,” Renji whispered.

That got Ichigo’s attention. He stared back at the Taicho. Memories of their time together washed over him. “I…” It had been so very intense. He felt himself flushing.

Renji smirked but that fell when Ichigo didn’t say anything. “It’s okay, Ichigo. I just wanted you to know. I don’t know how much you remember but I needed you to know that.”

“We’re mated right?” Ichigo said.

Renji nodded. “We didn’t… with Shiro though, so I don’t know…”

“Maybe I should talk to him.”

“NO!” Renji called. “Why don’t you leave Shiro alone for now. Damnit, I can’t seem to say anything right.”

Ichigo gave Renji a little smile. “Telling me you loved me was nice.” Ichigo wished he wasn’t so fair though so he wouldn’t blush.

Renji tilted his head cutely. “Yeah?”

Ichigo went to nod but closed his eyes in pain. And damnit if he wasn’t tired. “Yeah. Tired though.”

“Good. You need to rest.”

Ichigo squinted at Renji, as if that would make him talk. “I want to know what’s going on!”

“Trust me, you’ll know soon enough. For now, just rest Ichigo.”

“You’ll be here later?” Ichigo asked.

“I’m not going to leave you again. I promise.”

Renji had left him? Did Renji mean because he’d been kidnapped?

For the first time he felt his lack of age. He felt awfully young and vulnerable. It really sucked. Feeling a bit better with Renji at his side, he fell asleep.  
_____

Ichigo dreamed about agreeing to go with Renji instead of Grimm or Ulquiorra. He remembered the hollow sound of the bamboo fountain in the courtyard of the manor house Renji had taken him to. The garden had smelled so lush.

He’d been so resistant. But his time with Renji had been such a revelation. He hadn’t realized he’d needed Renji so badly. He’d been fighting so hard for so long to prove he could do everything. Now he had a mate… a partner.

He needed to settle things with Shiro. As simple as that, he felt himself falling.

The water Ichigo crashed into was tinted green. He couldn’t breathe it. It felt thick against his lips.

His eyes widened as his chest spasmed. Pain shot through Ichigo like the slices of a naked knife. His injuries from the real world were overtaking him.

He watched as the bubbles escape from his lips and travel slowly upwards.

Ichigo tried to coordinate his movements, forcing away the panic that was flooding him. His skin burned in the water. He wondered if he was going to finally die.

He refused and fought harder but never seemed to make progress, his movements kept him as stagnant as the water. What was holding him back?

It was something he couldn’t remember.

He’d been in the lab. Shiro had taken over… but then even he was gone.

And then there was darkness. Remember! He had to remember!

A hand, at last, clasped his right wrist and he was dragged upwards. A second hand clasped his left and he was pulled free. He got a glimpse of a Shiro and Zangetsu as they lay him on his side before he began choking and coughing up the water he’d inhaled. His body spasmed over and over.

Finally he lay his head on the uneven surface and closed his eyes, glad to be breathing. The pain washed over him and he wasn’t so certain it was a good thing anymore.

“That went well, don’t you think?” He heard Shiro say before he passed out.

When he woke Ichigo was staring at the washed out sky of his inner world.

“Done with your nap?” Shiro asked.

“I feel like crap you asshole.” Ichigo looked around. He struggled to his knees. His Shinigami uniform was still wet and uncomfortably cold and he shivered. He looked up at Shiro and the old man. Shiro was wringing out the sleeve of his hakusho. Zangetsu looked as unperturbed as normal.

Ichigo staggered to his feet. “That water is nasty.”

“No shit?” Shiro replied.

Ichigo frowned. He drew the larger of his zanpakuto and dug the point into the ground to balance himself.

“So what was that fight we had earlier about you taking Renji from me?”

Shiro grunted. “Opportunity.”

Ichigo had plenty to say about that but he asked instead, “Why do I feel so crappy?”

“The water,” Zangetsu said in his deep voice. “It strips away the barrier between your inner and outer worlds.”

“It didn’t bother me when we fought before,” Ichigo asserted.

“You weren’t drenched in it.”

“What the fuck is going on?” Ichigo asked. “Why does it look like the aftermath of a war?”

“We got overthrown, that’s what’s going on,” Shiro said.

Ichigo looked around. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“I took over at first when clown taicho started pumping that crap into you but after that even I don’t know what happened,” Shiro said.

“You were both lost,” Zangetsu stated calmly.

Ichigo looked at the zanpakuto’s flowing form. “You remember?”

“I was there, was I not?”

Shiro and Ichigo looked at one another and then back to the long haired zanpakuto. “So how did we….?” Ichigo asked.

“Win?” Shiro finished.

“You are well loved, Ichigo,” Zangetsu answered indirectly. “Remember this, if nothing else: it took strength, courage and the willingness to commit the ultimate sacrifice to free you from the hollow that had overtaken you.”

Renji had been willing to die for him, had almost died. The idea terrified him.

“Your freedom did not come without consequences. Find out what happened that day and remember my words. Only then will your inner world begin to heal and your strength return.” Ichigo stared at Zangetsu.

Then he woke.  
_______________________

Ichigo woke feeling only mildly sore. He opened his eyes to whiteness and remembered that he was in Las Noches.

“Are you going to stay awake this time?” Renji asked. There was a bit of humor mixed with concern in the voice.

Ichigo turned toward the voice. Renji sat next to him looking tired but otherwise healthy. “I feel a lot better. How long was I out for this time?”

“You were in and out for three days.” Renji brushed the knuckles of his left hand over Ichigo’s cheek. “Were you in your inner world? You seemed to be talking to Zangetsu at one point.”

“Yeah. Stuff is beat to hell there.”

“I guess that’s not too surprising. It’s never boring there, is it?” Renji asked with a twist to his lips.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. “I’d swear that Shiro has PMS along with his anger issues at the best of times. But I understand that things got more than a little crazy out here.”

Renji looked away. “I don’t know how much to tell you.”

“I’m going to need to know everything soon. But for now can you just tell me if you are ok? You look really tired.”

Renji adjusted his black bandana. “I’ve just been worried about you. I didn’t want to sleep in case you needed me.”

Ichigo moved over on the bed.

“Stop moving, idiot! What are you doing?”

“I’m making room for you. There’s no healing kido right now. Lay down next to me and rest. Huh, they changed my bandages. The ones on my arms don’t seem so tight and heavy,” Ichigo commented.

“Yeah, they did that today,” Renji replied. “Let me tell one of the hollows to let Hanataro know you are awake.”

After the quick chore, Renji lay down on the bed next to Ichigo.

Ichigo reached out his hand and Renji gently took it. “I know I owe you my life, Ren. I’m more grateful than I can say to be with you like this. Thank you.”

“Thank you for coming back to me, to us.”

“Us?”

“A lot of people care about you Ichigo.”

Ichigo remembered what Zangetsu said. There was more he needed to know.

“You’ll tell me soon?”

“Soon.”

Ichigo listened to the way Renji’s breath deepened and the older man fell into sleep.

It wasn’t long until Hanataro came into the room. He smiled gently when he saw the Renji was asleep next to Ichigo. He was quiet as he checked over Ichigo.

“You should be bandage free in a couple of days,” the slender healer told him.

“Renji is really ok?” Ichigo had to hear the words.

“Other than the need for sleep and food, which you both lack, he is healthy, Ichigo.”

“Thank you Hanataro.”

“You are welcome. There are many people who will be happy to hear that you are in the final stages of healing.”

Ichigo yawned, unable to believe he was still tired.

“Sleep for now. When you wake, we’ll start you on food again.”

Ichigo’s stomach rumbled even as his eyes drifted shut.

\------

Ichigo drank his tea and looked out the window to the achingly blue sky. He was seated in a comfortable chair in the living room waiting for Renji. When he’d awakened, one of the adjuchas was nearby and had informed Hana.

Now all he needed was to wait for Renji. His mind was running a million miles a minute. He didn’t want to jump Renji the moment he entered the room for answers or just the smell and feel of him.

His mind stuttered to a stop. Now that had different connotations. Visions of cascading crimson hair and smug grins gave him goosebumps. He sighed. There was a part of him that really wanted to curl up next to Renji and ignore that any of this had ever happened.

That part was really small. Well the idea of sharing body warmth with Renji was appealing. But letting things go? That wasn’t his style. He sensed a fight coming on and he faced those head on.

He took another sip of his tea. He was wearing a pair of his own sleep pants and an old shirt someone had brought over from soul society. He frowned. It was just another part of the mystery.

The door opened. He didn’t even have to look to know it was Renji. He could sense the man’s spiritual energy.

“Hana insisted I bring us some food,” Renji said. “Or I would have been here sooner.”

Ichigo’s stomach rumbled at the smells coming from the tray Renji held.

Renji chuckled. “I figured you’d be hungry. Hana said to keep it light though.”

Ichigo started to stand to help with the black tray but Renji just shook his head. “Stay there, Ichigo. Let me do this.”

Ichigo frowned. There was so much he wanted to say he didn’t know where to begin.

Renji set the tray on the low, white table and set out the array of dishes. He handed a cup of miso soup to Ichigo. “Why don’t you start with this.”

Ichigo set his teacup down and took the white wooden bowl with wide spoon and sipped at the hot broth.

Renj was wearing faded jeans and an old t-shirt Ichigo had given him years before. His hair was french braided.

Ichigo had the sudden urge to stick his fingers in that hair and mess it up.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Renji asked.

Ichigo blinked. “Like what?”

Renji picked up a bowl of rice and some chopsticks. “Are you that hungry? That you want to eat me too?”

Ichigo couldn’t help the way he flushed. “Shut the fuck up. I didn’t look at you like that at all.”

Renji had that damn grin again. “Then how did you look at me?”

“How should I know? Shut up and eat.”

“I thought there were questions you wanted answers to. If so, you probably shouldn’t keep telling me to shut up.”

Ichigo forced himself to take another sip of his soup and not choke on the seaweed. Damn but he loved that stupid grin. He didn’t know what he’d do without it.

He took another bite. “Do you want to start with why we seem to have our own clothes? Or why I suddenly have no freckles? Or why we are in Las Noches?” He asked.

Renji placed a piece of meat on his rice before scooping it up.

Ichigo noticed it took him a long time to chew. Ichigo forced himself to consume his soup and then place it on the table before he served himself a few dumplings.

Renji poured himself a cup of tea and he took a sip. “I don’t know where the best place to start is, especially after your reaction last time. Do you remember anything?”

“You started talking about Mayuri kidnaping me and his lab,” Ichigo said flatly. “What happened after that.” The tiny amount of food he’d eaten felt huge. He refreshed his tea and wrapped his suddenly cold fingers around the thick cup.

Renji shifted forward until his forearms sat on his thighs and his cup dangled from long fingers between his knees. He looked at the steaming liquid for a bit before he said, “I have to start a little earlier. I didn’t know that was where you’d gone.” He looked up. “You and I, we’d been attacked. One moment you were with me, the next, I was fighting to find you.” Renji’s voice became rough. “Grimmjow appeared next to me, we fought the enemy but you were gone. Grimm saved my life, but I went down.”

Ichigo stopped breathing. Renji had almost died? Fuck! Grimm had saved Renji. Ichigo owed Grimm.

“Grimm was arrested and questioned by Byakuya. Byakuya thought Grimm had tried to force you into mating with him.”

Ichigo snorted.

Renji gave a half smile. “That’s what Grimm and I told Byakuya too. But your Taicho was more than a little concerned about you and when no one could find a sign of you and I was still too injured to question, Byakuya took his anger out on Grimm.”

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. “Do I have to apologize for my Taicho?”

Renji shook his head. “It didn’t get that bad, and Grimm was apparently a model prisoner. He wanted to do anything he could to find you.”

There was a look in Renji’s eyes that Ichigo couldn’t read.

“When I woke up from unconsciousness, no one knew where you were. I was desperate and terrified. I had promised to protect you and take your burdens and I had already let you down. I demanded Byakuya bring me Grimm. I knew he would be able to help me find you. I need you to understand this, Ichigo. I would’a done anything to find you, to save you, do you understand?”

Ichigo felt his hands tremble slightly. He couldn’t look away from the seriousness of his best friends, his lover’s eyes. He nodded. “It’s not your fault.”

Renji just looked at him and continued. “Mayuri Taicho’s lab exploded and you looked like Shiro, but he didn’t respond to Grimm or I. We fought you but you… evolved into the hollow you were when you fought Ulquiorra.

“Mayuri had wanted to make you into an invincible soldier, but barring that, to prove to the Seireitei that you were unstable at the best of times, but especially when you were overcome with Yokkyuu. We had to come up with a way to stop you that didn’t kill you. But that wasn’t all. When it was over there were going to be questions about what would happen that your mate wasn’t strong enough to prevent your hollow from going out of control.”

“You hadn’t mated with Shiro,” protested Ichigo. He set the cup on the table with a click and wiped his sweaty palms on his pants. Fuck he hated the hollow thing inside him sometimes. Shiro had been both good and bad for him in so many ways.

His mind was spinning. He tried to catch on to something, but Renji just kept talking.

“But who would believe that explanation? And that hollow wasn’t Shiro. Central wasn’t going to take this lightly, not after all the damage that was caused and there was a lot. Mayuri would put whispers in just the right ears.”

“But then?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear this.

“Grimm and I made a deal, Ichigo. We would work to suppress you together. He would pin down Zangetsu and I would use Zabimaru to knock off a horn and after a blast from him surround the three of us we would try to use our Reiatsu to knock you back into yourself.”

What did Grimm want? “How did he pin Zangetsu?” Ichigo asked instead.

Renji didn’t look away from him. “With his body.”

Ichigo swallowed. Grimm had… for him? “Is he alive?”

“He wasn’t for awhile, I guess.” Renji ran the tail of his french braid through his fingers.

What did that mean? He opened his mouth to ask but Renji kept talking.

“There’s something more I should tell you. I agreed that we would take him on as a mate, if he survived.”

Ichigo felt like a damn parrot. “Is he alive?”

Renji shrugged. “He was. I’m not real sure right now.”

Ichigo sank into the barrel chair and leaned his head against the back with his eyes closed. Well, now he knew what Zangetsu and Shiro had been talking about. “Renji, please explain.”

“He survived the fight. And we, uh, argued.” Renji’s odd tone brought Ichigo’s head up. Was Renji blushing?

“Argued?”

“We… discussed the mate bond.”

“With weapons?” Ichigo guessed.

Now Ichigo was certain Renji was blushing. Renji wiped a hand over his face and coughed. What the hell would make Renji blush?

Ichigo lifted his brows. A pang of jealously went through him. “Did you fuck?” His voice was hoarse.

Renji shot to his feet. “What the hell Ichigo! No!”

Ichigo leaned forward. “Then why are you blushing?”

Renji looked away. “Because we might have kissed.”

“You kissed,” Ichigo repeated numbly. He tried to imagine the volatile, blue haired arrancar and outspoken shinigami sharing kisses. He couldn’t make it work.

“Grimm was right. That made it sound like we had feelings. He called it tongue fucking.”

Ichigo’s mouth dropped open. He felt like he should say something, should feel something like jealousy but all he could do was give a short laugh because he could somehow imagine that. His gut clenched in a way he couldn’t categorize. He felt himself shake his head. “I have no idea what to say to that.”

Renji stepped on the table and over before kneeling at Ichigo’s feet.

“What happened to Grimm, Renji?” Ichigo asked. He couldn’t seem to process anything.

“Let Grimm sort himself out, Ichi. For right now, I want you to remember that we are mated. You are mine.” Renji placed his long-fingered hand on the side of Ichigo’s face.

Ichigo flinched.

Renji’s hand dropped and the crimson eyes shuttered.

Ichigo’s heart felt like it stopped. He grabbed Renji’s wrist and placed a kiss in the calloused palm. He settled the hand back on his face and leaned into it. Ichigo didn’t say anything. He looked into Renji’s eyes and tried to convey everything, his apology.

Renji’s eyes glowed and there was a lifting of his narrow lips at the corners. “No matter what happens in the future, remember that I’m yours too. Let me remind you of those things?”

Ichigo didn’t know what to say. He looked down at his lap but his face was tilted up and his lips taken in a soft kiss that was a simple greeting.

“I missed you more than I can say,” Renji murmured.

His lips were a little chapped and Ichigo couldn’t help but lick the bottom one in a cheeky move . Renji groaned and captured Ichigo’s tongue with his teeth, nipping it before suckling on Ichigo’s lower lip. He worried it with his teeth and then let it go.

Ichigo was beginning to feel warm. His hands rubbed Renji’s solid biceps. “I hate that I wasn’t… That I was the reason..” Ichigo looked away, battling guilt and self-doubt.

Renji’s hand guided him back. “I have gone to hell and back with you. I will do it again and again if you need me to. I am MORE than your nakama now, I am your Mate. I have no doubt you would do the same for me.”

Ichigo nodded, unable to fathom letting Renji go somewhere he wouldn’t be willing to follow.

“Then we walk this path together,” Renji said against Ichigo’s right ear.

Ichigo shivered at the sensation. “We always have,” Ichigo acknowledged. He turned and kissed Renji in an unrestrained, open mouth kiss. He couldn’t think about Grimmjow any more.  
___________________________

Renji wondered if he pressed too hard, if Ichigo would break. Hanna had warned him that Ichigo’s skin was still new and that it couldn’t take rough handling. But he couldn’t keep his hands off the other man.

With just the tips of his fingers, he touched the high cheekbones, and then the rounded curve of an ear as he brushed the orange hair behind it. He ran his palms over the muscles of Ichigo’s shoulders and down his arms and then up again, noticing his skin was hairless for the moment.

He tugged Ichigo’s waist to his own and then stood holding Ichigo in his arms. Ichigo wrapped his long legs around his waist. Renji took him through an open archway and into the bedroom.

Ichigo bit Renji’s lower lip and then sucked on it. They licked at each other.

Ichigo moaned for Renji. The older shinigami couldn’t help but pull the hips closer to his own to feel Ichigo’s hardness against his.

Renji was careful as he laid Ichigo on the bed. He stripped his own shirt off and tossed it away before his hands went to the snap of his pants. He glanced up to see that Ichigo hadn’t moved. He was just laying there, watching Renji.

“Ichigo?”

Ichigo’s eyes were narrowed. He licked his already shiny lips. “Go ahead,” he encouraged.

Renji looked from Ichigo down to where his hands hovered at his own waist and smirked. “Is there something you want to see Ichigo?”

Ichigo frowned and hesitated. But then his eyes shined with an unholy light and the little bastard shrugged. “I guess I’ll just take a nap. Thanks for taking me to bed Ren.” Ichigo started to roll onto his side.

Renji was on his hands and knees on the white sheets, trapping Ichigo, looking down into that smug face, with a smirk of his own.

“You think you’re smart, don’t you?” Renji asked.

“You think your charm will get me to do anything you want,” Ichigo accused.

Renji looked at him and then leaned down to press a kiss to Ichigo’s jaw. “Sorry. Games later. I just do so love to rile you up,” he said with his lips brushing the soft skin.

Ichigo huffed. “I guess I’m just not comfortable with…”

“Everything yet. With all that happened I kind of forgot. I’m sorry.” He lifted away until they were looking at each other. “Let me make you feel good?”

The look in Ichigo’s eyes was fond. “Idiot.”

Ichigo brushed his palms over Renji’s pecs and up over his shoulders to drift down his arms. Renji hissed at the sensation. “I’d ride you but Hanna said the skin on your cock couldn’t take the friction.”

Ichigo blinked. “What?” The lips parted and the pale face turned red.

Renji wondered if Ichigo would suck his cock.

“You asked Hanna?”

“I didn’t want to hurt you.” He’d thought he’d been rather proactive.

Ichigo punched him in the side.

“Oi!”

“Don’t you ‘Oi’ me! Don’t go talking to strangers about our sex lives!”

“He’s your healer Ichigo, not a stranger. And I won’t hurt you. I promised I’d give you whatever you needed, even if you didn’t know what it was.”

Ichigo looked like he couldn’t decide if he was pissed off or pleased. It looked more like fondly exasperated. Renji could work with that.

He put his forearms next to Ichigo’s head and pressed a kiss to Ichigo’s left cheek before simply kissing him. There was no tongue, no teeth, just a smooth press of lips.

“I can, however, suck your cock.” Renji smirked and looked into the beautiful brown eyes. “And I do believe I promised to finger you.”

Ichigo’s breath caught even as his eyes widened and then became half closed. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

“Should I take that as a yes?”

Ichigo flushed and finally said, “Hell yes.”

Renji felt tension he didn’t know he had melt away. He pressed another kiss to the soft lips of his lover, lingering this time. He didn’t try to dominate the kiss, he just teased Ichigo’s tongue out to play and then showed him the rhythm he’d be using to make the younger man come. He was already half-hard just from the taste and smell that was Ichigo.

When he had no breath left he lifted his head up, pleased when Ichigo made a small dissatisfied sound. He resettled himself to the side of Ichigo’s legs and helped him take off the pants but left the shirt on. “As much as I want to see all of you, I want the shirt to protect the skin on your back and shoulders,” he explained at Ichigo’s questioning look.

He pulled a bottle of lube out of his back pocket and then took off his pants but left his boxer-briefs on. He decided that a layer between he and the tempting body on the bed was a good idea. Already all he wanted to do was open Ichigo up and fuck him until he was a moaning mess again.

“Ren.”

Renji looked up.

Ichigo moved up the bed until he was pushing pillows up against the wall that curved behind the circular bed. “I want to watch.”

Renji realized his mouth was open and shut it. He was over Ichigo before he realized he had moved. “Oh fuck yeah, you can watch me as I devour that beautiful cock of yours.”

Ichigo reached up and took out Renji’s hair tie. He used both hands to delve into the braid, loosening it. The tugging on his hair made Renji hum. His cock was fully hard.

“You think my hair is sexy,” Renji said.

Ichigo wrapped the long strands in his right hand and tugged Renji’s head down so they were so close their breaths mingled, making Renji moan.

“I think you’re too fucking sexy for your own good,” Ichigo said.

“I’m just too sexy for your own good, Ichi.”

Ichigo laughed softly and let Renji’s hair loose, smoothing his fingers over it. “Prove it.”

“My pleasure.” Renji lowered himself so he was kneeling between Ichigo’s knees. He pressed a kiss on Ichigo’s shirt, over the smaller man’s heart. “And hopefully yours too,” he added just before he licked a long stripe up Ichigo’s thick cock.

Ichigo’s cock was good sized. It wasn’t as large as his own, but it had both length and girth that made it feel satisfying in his mouth and hand. He licked around the head, tasting the healed skin. He slid two fingers under the base and lifted it away from Ichigo’s abs.

He looked up at Ichigo. The brown eyes were almost all pupil. Renji pressed a kiss to the tip, catching a drop of precum on his lips. He licked it off, tasting his lover. “May I?” He asked politely, trying to keep the mischief off his face.

“Ren,” Ichigo growled in warning.

Renji’s cock twitched… hard. Oh, that tone of voice was more than a little interesting. But now was not the time to tease. He took the smooth flesh in his mouth and sucked.

Ichigo groaned and his left hand delved into Renji’s hair, tugging. Renji’s eyes closed for a moment in pleasure. He loved it when Ichigo felt like he couldn’t get enough of Renji.

Renji ran his hands up and down the insides of strong thighs. Fuck, he remembered what it was like to feel those tighten around him as he pounded into the perfect ass. He hummed around Ichigo’s length and grabbed the bottle off the bed. He massaged Ichigo’s hairless balls, which was a bit strange and then lifted up.

Ichigo moaned in protest. Renji noticed his lover was breathing hard.

“Fuck you look so good. I love the sounds you make for me as I suck your cock. I’m going to slick my fingers up and press them inside you one at a time. I’m gonna make you feel so good. I’ll stretch you wide open, make your ass gape around me. How many fingers are you going to take before you come, Ichigo? Hmm? Think you’ll last until I get four inside you?”

Ichigo made a small sound, almost like a whimper.

“You feel so smooth and hot inside, it makes my cock ache so bad to be inside you. I want to fuck you so bad, Ichigo.”

Ichigo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Fucken shut the hell up and get to it, will you?”

Renji chuckled. “Yes, fukutaicho.”

“You drive me insane, Ren, you know that?”

Warmth that had nothing to do with lust filled Renji’s chest. “Yeah, same to you Ichigo.”

Renji popped the cap on the small bottle and poured it on his fingers. He looked over Ichigo, taking in the long, spread legs. He tossed the bottle to the side and ran his clean hand over a pale left thigh, pushing it up and out. The muscle trembled a bit at his touch. He couldn’t help but lean down and press a kiss to it, as if to reassure it.

He ran his fingers along Ichigo’s crease, behind his balls, loving the sound of Ichigo’s hiss. They hadn’t done this enough that he knew what Ichigo would do for him yet. This excited him so much the jeans he was wearing hurt.

He circled with his middle finger, feeling the ridges of skin and dragged finger over it just enough that it caught on each one.

Ichigo grunted and lifted his hips towards Renji as a plea for more. Renji rewarded Ichigo by pressing against the hole and feeling himself slip inside the smooth heat.

“Fuck yeah,” he groaned.

Ichigo’s mouth had dropped open a bit as he dragged in quick breaths. A slick tongue wet dry lips. He was looking at Renji as if he were the only being in the entire world. It made Renji feel so damn powerful. “You are so beautiful like this.”

Ichigo narrowed his eyes but Renji felt the man’s inner muscles clamp down, trying to pull his finger deeper.

Renji pressed until his knuckles were flush with Ichigo’s perineum and twisted. “I feel you begging for more, Ichigo. You’re ass is feeling a bit lusty isn’t it.”

Ichigo blushed. “Shut up!”

Renji chuckled. He pulled his finger out and pressed two in, stretching by pressing against the walls, first one side and then another, until the muscles softened around them.

Ichigo was panting. Occasionally a little moan would escape his mouth. “Look at how fast you’re taking these. You are already for more, aren’t you. You want three right now.”

Ichigo stared at him. “Take of your pants.”

“What?” Renji asked.

“Get naked,” Ichigo ordered.

Renji considered things for a moment but Ichigo clicked his tongue. Renji shrugged. He stood and stripped out of his jeans and boxers. He held out his hands a bit, aware that his right one was shiny and wet with lube.

“Now get back to what you were doing. Put some lube on my cock and yours. You are going to stroke your cock while I do mine.”

Renji tilted his head and took in the sight of Ichigo all flushed and hard. He bit his lower lip in thought and then nodded. “Sounds like an excellent plan to me.”

“I want to watch you make yourself come for me,” Ichigo said in a low voice that Renji could see ordering him around at some later date.

“Oh. HELL yeah, Ichi.” Renji smirked. “You still crave my fingers deep inside that tight ass of yours?”

Ichigo just stared at Renji and the older man could feel Ichigo struggling with that.

“Yes, fill me, Ren,” Ichigo said just when Renji worried he’d pushed his lover too far.

Renji leaned over and pressed a kiss to Ichigo’s lips. “It’s more than my pleasure, Ichi. I love you so much. I want to fulfill all your needs.” He stared into the brandy colored eyes and was nearly burned by the intensity that looked back at him.

Without looking away, he slid his hand down Ichigo’s chest before cupping the younger man’s tumescent cock. Ichigo’s lashes fluttered and a moan escaped before Renji continued on over soft balls and back to the slick entrance. He pushed his middle finger back inside the tight heat and moaned softly. “I want so badly to take you again. Fuck if I don’t.” He struggled to get his breathing back under control, only realizing how bad it had gotten at the breathy sounds of his words.

He leaned back and after removing his fingers, poured some more lube on them. He slicked Ichigo’s cock and his own quickly and then pressed two back inside his lover.

“Take yourself in hand for me Ichigo, let me see what you do to get yourself off,” Renji said.

Ichigo brought up his hand and loosely cupped his cock. He shook his head though.

“I want to watch sex incarnate get himself off because he’s finger fucking me… then I’ll come.”

Renji bit his lower lip to stop a moan. “I don’t know why I thought you might be a prude,” he said laughingly.

“I was when I was young. And if I still was, listening and looking at you makes me throw any last inhibitions I might have had out the window.”

Renji put his hand on his cock and started to stroke it strong and slow. He groaned. “You have got to stop calling me sex incarnate. I’ll get a big head.”

“Like you don’t know your fucking hot, Ren,” Ichigo argued.

The heavy lidded gaze seemed to hasten his heart and heat his blood. He twisted his wrist at the top of his movement slid his hand back down, peeling back the frenulum, exposing the head. He was having a hell of a time concentrating on talking to Ichigo, fingering him and jerking himself off.

He began to press with three fingers but when he felt Ichigo tense, he went back to two and worked them harder against the sides of the protesting walls, twisting and pressing. “I don’t think things are going to go quite as you planned, as hot as the thoughts are.”

“And how is that?” Ichigo started to stroke his own cock with just the tips of his fingers, tracing the purple head and vein.

“You are amazingly sexy. But you and I will be coming together,” Renji argued. His hand was stroking faster. He silently willed Ichigo to speed up as well.

“I want to watch you. I haven’t seen you come yet. I’m pretty certain I’ll be following directly after.”

Renji thought about that and realized Ichigo was right. It was hard to believe that after what they had been through, they really hadn’t been together very much. And he found that it was hard to deny Ichigo anything when he had that sexy, demanding look on his face.

He again pressed with three and this time they slid in. Ichigo gasped and bit his lower lip before licking it.

Renji tightened his hand around his cock, imagining it was inside Ichigo’s ass. He thought about how his hands would spread the perfect cheeks so he could get deeper, how he’d angle himself just so to get at Ichigo’s prostate.

Ichigo was palming his balls, rolling them in his long fingered hand. Renji couldn’t resist leaning down and licking the long cock.

“Renji,” Ichigo moaned. And then groaned as Renji twisted his hand.

“I wanna see if you’ll take four fingers, Ichi,” Renji said breathlessly. His heart was pounding so hard. “I wanna feel you clench around me.” He pressed the fingernail of his thumb into the slit of his dick and moaned. “I’m already close watching you like this.”

Ichigo was lifting up into the fingers, pressing into them.

“So beautiful Ichigo. You glow with sweat. I want to touch you all over, lick your hard muscles.” Ichigo’s stomach fluttered and the hand on his cock moved faster.

“Unh, your voice could make a stone come. I need to see you cum Ren, please.”

Renji nodded. Unable to concentrate on his cock and working his fingers into Ichigo, he pinched his left nipple with his fingernails. “You are so tight, I love feeling you stretch around me.” He slid his fingers in and out, pressing against the sides and slipping the fourth in. “Oh, fuck Ichigo.”

Ichigo arched and whined. Renji took his cock in hand again and jerked it hard and fast. “You are so hot and smooth inside.” Renji spread his thighs a bit. “Damn it, I’m getting close.” He bared his teeth and pushed for the edge, feeling his gut clench. He pressed against Ichigo’s prostate and heard his lover moan his name. His cock was so hard, he could feel it leaking. It twitched in his hand.

“Give Ichi the show he wants, Red.” The words were drawled in a deep voice. Renji grunted in shock and looked up to see Grimmjow leaning against the wall, watching them. The blue eyes were half covered by lids lowered in lust and focused on him. One strong hand was rubbing the bulge in his pants.

Renji gasped as he felt Ichigo tighten around his fingers until it hurt, the muscles milking him. He looked at Ichigo’s face. The skin was tight around his eyes, he was frowning but he hadn’t stopped jerking himself off.

“Yo, Ichigo. I don’t know if you heard, but I’m your third.” Grimm’s grin was smug as hell.

Renji couldn’t catch his breath. He knew he should probably be turned off but damned if he wasn’t hot.

Languidly pushing himself from the wall, Grimm walked toward them. He turned the electric blue eyes from Ichigo onto Renji and Renji had to hold back a gasp.

“Ichigo’s right. You are fucking hot with your hand on your cock, jerking it so hard.” He leaned over and put his hands on the bed, shifting forward until his lips were next to Renji’s ear. “Cum, Red.”

“Fuck!” Renji yelled but he could do nothing but follow Grimm’s order. The pleasure arched through him unexpectedly hard. He writhed over his cock, his hand milking the pleasure. He was aware he was saying things but didn’t know what. He felt himself take a last desperate grasp at awareness but a flash of heat rolled over him and he collapsed back, barely conscious of the world around him.

_______-------

“Grimm,” Ichigo gasped. He couldn't stop watching Renji cum. The sight of the white cum covering Renji’s abs and hand was mesmerizing. At one point, Renji shoved his hand too hard into

Ichigo’s ass. It hurt a little but all he could do was groan and push back against it. He was so damn hard. His stomach muscles ached. He was close.

But Grimm was here. What the fuck was going on?

He felt Grimm looking at him. He hesitated a moment before looking up

Ichigo hissed at the sensation of Renji’s hand pulling away. And then he was empty. His ass clenched but there was nothing for it to hold on to.

Grimm looked feral. He seemed to want to devour Ichigo. And Ichigo’s cock didn’t feel averse to the idea

“I can see your hole fluttering. Do you need something? Something I can help you with?” Grimm asked.

“Fuck off!” Ichigo pumped his cock but his ass ached, empty. He couldn’t help but look down at Grimm’s hands where they were resting on his knees.

Grimm chuckled. “You want my fingers inside you, Ichigo?”

Ichigo couldn’t help but tremble. Why the fuck did both of the bastards know how to turn him on so hard?

“You’re really the third?” Ichigo asked desperately. Renji had said so and the man wouldn’t have let anyone else near him if something like that hadn’t happened but he had to know.

“Ask Red.”

“Ren? It’s ok?”

Renji groaned. His voice was rough. “Yeah. He gave his life for yours. I accepted him.”

Ichigo saw vulnerability in Grimmjow’s eyes before it was covered up. Ichigo reached toward Grimm.

Before he could blink, Grimm was over him, hand against the wall, kissing him. It was messy and deep and Grimm growled before moving to bite at Ichigo’s jaw and then pressing kisses to his neck until he bit at his shoulder.

Grimm lifted up, panting hard. “I’ve waited all my fucking life for this. I am never letting you go.” He shifted back and slid two of his thick fingers into Ichigo.

Ichigo groaned and lifted his hips at the feeling of being filled. He couldn’t do anything but stare wide-eyed at the man above him. “Grimm,” he moaned.

“Jerk yourself off. I want to feel you cum on my hand. Fuck you’re hot and soft. I can’t wait to put my cock in here.” The last was said on a groan.

It felt so good with Grimm inside him. Ichigo was so close. His hips were pumping up and down in time with his hand. The blue eyes were making him sweat. But something was missing. And then he knew. “Ren?” he asked.

Grimm flinched. His expression filled gaze went blank. Ichigo grabbed his bicep. “Don’t stop. Want you. Want, need you both!”

Renji was at their side. “I’m here, Ichi. I promised I would never leave. You have us both.” Renji put his hand on Ichigo’s heart. The large palm was hot on his skin.

The look in Renji’s eyes was hard to read but the one thing he could see was that Renji loved him. Renji had accepted this, whatever this was.

Ichigo smirked. He turned to Grimm whose eyes were still blank. “Kiss him.”

“What?” Renji asked.

“You two kissed. I want to see.”

Grimm’s eyes narrowed and he looked at Ichigo like he was insane. Renji gave him a look that said Ichigo would owe him later and then turned to Grimm.

Grimm put a hand in Renji’s hair, tipped his head and kissed Renji like he was about to fuck the redhead. Their eyes stayed open but lids lowered to half-mast. The crimson and blue burned bright. Their tongues tangled outside their lips. Grimm’s sharp teeth nipped at Renji’s lower lip and then he soothed it with his tongue. Ichigo couldn’t help but lick his own lips in response. He arched up and tightened.

Ichigo and Renji moaned. Then Renji grabbed the back of Grimm’s neck and slid his hand up into the blue hair and pulled away. They stared at each other. Ichigo felt like they were somehow communicating.

Grimm’s fingers were still working inside Ichigo and now he was trying to hold back his orgasm. The two of them together like that was so fucking amazing.

Renji smirked and then Grimm did as well. And damn but they were sexy. They turned and looked at Ichigo together.

Renji slid his hand over Ichigo’s on his cock and the feeling of both their fingers there made his heart stutter. It took him to the edge. “You have my hand on your cock and his hand in your ass.”

Grimm licked up Ichigo’s neck and slowly slid his fingers out to put three back in.

Ichigo bit back a sob. He felt the heat from both of them.

Grimm nipped his earlobe, fucked him faster with his fingers and rubbed his prostate. “I want to lap up your cum and taste it on your skin. Cum!”

Renji put his mouth on Ichigo’s jaw and licked the skin. He pulled up Ichigo’s shirt with one hand and tightened his fingers with the other on Ichigo’s cock and said, “Let go.”

Ichigo couldn’t deny them.

A sob tore from his chest and then a conglomeration of their names. He felt as though he might explode from the power of his orgasm as if it spread directly from their fingers and into his every nerve ending. He thought every muscle he seized hard before releasing in a chain of reactions that shook him to the core. His eyes closed as he rode out the painfully exquisite feelings.

The sensations were extended by their ministrations in and on his body.

He knew they were speaking to him but not what the words were, only that they were with him through this so he couldn’t completely lose his way and never find his way back. And he went so deep for moments he lost track of everything.

At last a languid feeling spread through his body. He felt two men in bed with him, on on each side. He knew at once which one was Renji. It took a moment to identify the other presence.

Who else would be in bed with them?

He felt Shiro chuckling and then remembered Grimm. “Figures you’d like the idea of the bastard fucking you.” Ichigo murmured to his hollow.

The hollow narrowed his eyes. “We’ll be fucking the vizard thank you very much.”

“Vizard?”

“You were a bit busy to notice, but that was what he was doing while you were recover’n,” Shiro pointed out. “Besides, you know you just admitted you wanted Grimmjow to fuck YOU too.”

“Shut up,” Ichigo grumbled.

He opened his eyes and looked into blue. “You could have died asshole.”

Renji started laughing. He laughed so hard he doubled over.

“What the fuck, Ichigo?” Grimm demanded pushing up on an elbow and looking down at Ichigo.

Ichigo forced his hand to lift up and dragged it on the side of Grimm’s face that had once had the bone mask.

“You could have died.”

Grimm just flopped back down on the bed. “Yeah well, we don’t have much of a future if I stayed an Arrancar. I know you two don’t think much of this place.”

Ichigo frowned at the profile of his newest lover. “That’s bullshit. You were planning this for a long time, Grimm.”

“Just fucking tell him,” Renji said. Ichigo glanced up and saw that Renji had propped himself up on an elbow and was looking at Grimm from Ichigo’s other side. “It’s not like he didn’t figure it out.”

Blue eyes rolled to the side to glare at Renji. “You told him didn’t you?”

“Yep.”

“Fucking asshole, Red.”

“Yep. But it wasn’t much of a stretch, even for him.”

Ichigo put a hand on Grimm’s chest, breaking their stare-off. “Grimm.”

Grimm threw his arm over his face.

Renji sighed. “Since Grimm already cleaned up a bit, I guess I will too. I won’t be long in the bathroom, Grimm. This is your chance, got it?”

__________

“Asshole,” Grimmjow muttered. He supposed he was sort of thankful that Red had given them some privacy.

Grimmjow felt Renji roll off the bed and heard him walk around the room before disappearing into the bathroom. The door closed with a solid sound.

The Arrancar didn’t know what to say. He was an asshole. That was his personality. But shit--he had to man up here. It was more than time. He rolled over onto his side and looked at the half-naked man next to him. Ichigo was so fucking beautiful. All that beautiful skin was his now and he wanted to suck and nip marks onto it. He had a feeling he was going to be feeling more than a little possessive for quite a while. Like for the rest of his life.  
Ichigo rolled onto his side and the brown eyes met his. That was Ichigo for you, meeting every challenge head on. It was the least he could do to reciprocate. He ignored the way his cheeks flushed.

He frowned. “Look, Ichigo. I didn’t know what anything but blood, chaos and pain was until I met you.” He took a deep breath and pushed memories of that darker time away. “And then I saw your loyalty. And I wanted it. From you.”

Grimmjow saw the surprise in Ichigo’s face, but he continued. His voice dipped and became raspy. “And because once I want something, I can’t stop, everything else followed. Ev’ry painful fuckin’ emotion. At first, I thought that if I kicked your ass, you’d do what I said and be loyal to me. That didn’t happen. So then, I’d do anything to get your attention on me. After a long time, I realized it had nothing to do with which of us won and more to do with friendship. But I knew crap about that too. Neliel was the one that told me I had to be someone that deserved to have friends, that I had to be worthy. But by then I knew I wanted to be around you all the time. And I didn’t see how I had much to give you but a really good fight and you already knew that. And I was an Arrancar.

“So I decided to try to go Visard and wait until your Yokkyu and see if you’d mate with me. But Renji got there first.” Grimmjow licked his lips. “Fuck I suck at this. But, fuck, I… fucking love you Ichigo. I’d give my life for yours a million times over if I had to. I’ll even put up with Red.”  
Grimmjow blinked as Ichigo shoved him on his back and crawled over him. The brown eyes swirled with emotion.

“You are important to me Grimm. Don’t think you’re not. I count you among the people I genuinely trust to have at my back.” Ichigo’s lips curled. “Now you’ve even proved it. I’m glad you’re here.”

Grimmjow reached up and ran a hand down Ichigo’s arm. “You’re trembling Ichigo.” He slid his palm up and around Ichigo’s back. “Did we wear you out?” Ichigo shivered and hissed when

Grimmjow tugged gently.

Ichigo collapsed on top of him with a grunt and then tucked his warm face in Grimmjow’s neck.

“Shut up,” Ichigo muttered. Grimmjow chuckled. He took the opportunity to run his hand over the curve of Ichigo’s ass with one hand and feel the softness of the orange hair with the other.

“You’re feeling me up?”

“I have to take my opportunities as they come. Nice ass by the way.” Grimmjow squeezed.

“Fucker.”

Renji laughed and walked into sight. “I have to agree it’s a very nice ass. However it looks like we’ve managed to rub your back raw, Ichi.”

Grimmjow froze. “Why the hell didn’t you say anything? I thought the shirt was going to help?”

“Apparently not enough.” Ichigo sighed. “Because it’s not that bad. And you’re hard,” he pointed out.

“Of course I’m hard, I have a half-naked Ichigo spread all over me. Red, you want to call the healer or should I?”

Renji walked over and looked down at the two of them with a lifted brow. “I really don’t see you going anywhere fast right now, Kitten.”

Ichigo snorted.

Grimmjow frowned up at the naked man. “Don’t call me Kitten.”

“I’ll go get Hanataro. Ichi, you look pretty comfortable there. He’s not too heavy for you is he, Grimm?”

“You two are going to drive me insane aren’t you?” Ichigo asked.

“Hopefully for a very long time, Ichigo,” Red said.

Ichigo pressed up and looked down at Grimmjow with an apologetic look, before he he moved carefully to the side. Grimmjow had to close his eyes and clench his jaw to keep from moaning. Damn but his cock ached. He had Ichigo right next to him and vivid memories of the long neck arched as Ichigo came hard, clenching around Grimmjow’s hand.

Grimmjow tried focusing on anything that would make his hard-on go away. Even thoughts about Szayel and his experiments wasn’t helping. He rolled to his feet with a grunt and walked to the bathroom. He glanced back over his shoulder to see Renji pulling on his pants and shook his head. But then he looked down on the bed to see Ichigo all spread out, back looking painful.

That helped ease things at least.

“Grimm?” Ichigo called out.

“I’m fine,” he lied and walked to the bathroom and shut the door.

____________________

Grimmjow had gone to his room to settle his mind. He couldn’t think with Ichigo being so close and not being able to touch him. Hana had told them in no uncertain terms to leave Ichigo the hell alone. That meant no sex and no fighting. The no sex was for another full day and the fighting thing was for a week.

Grimmjow thought he might not have minded just sitting with Ichigo and annoying him but that damn pineapple head was always there. He didn’t know what the hell he was supposed to do.

He wanted to fight Ichigo, throw him on the ground and fuck him. He hadn’t really thought about the in between times.

There was a knock at the door and he turned. “Yeah.”

“It’s Renji.”

Grimmjow sighed. He couldn’t seem to get away from the bastard. “Come in.”

Red sauntered in and nodded to him. Grimmjow didn’t really know what to do or say to the Shinigami Captain. He’d pretty much hated him before and now they were mated in all but deed. He was wearing his shinigami clothes.

“What da’ ya want?” Grimmjow growled.

“I thought you might want to test out some of those vizard powers of yours.”

Grimmjow thought about that. He and Red had never really sparred before. And now, with his powers being different, he might be a good opponent. “On you? I don’t know if you can even make me sweat.”

“I bet you don’t even know how to use what you’ve got. I thought you might want someone to show you how it’s done.” Red smirked.

Grimmjow took a step toward the shinigami, loving the thrill of the fight that was running though him. “Oh, I know exactly how to use what I have in ways that will make you scream. You won’t even be able to remember your own name when I get done with you.” Grimmjow licked his lips.

Red laughed. “We’ll see, Kitten. Do you still have those adorable ears?” The pain in the ass turned and walked toward the door.

“I’ll fucking show you adorable,” Grimmjow grumbled as he followed the other man out the door.

______

Ichigo could sense Renji and Grimm fighting. He itched to get out there and beat the crap out of the two. Why? Because he could. Because they were a pain in his ass. Because they wanted to be a literal pain in his ass. The reasons were plentiful.

He wondered what form Grimm’s new powers would take. He kind of liked the kitty ears. He grinned. But what did he really think about being in a relationship with Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez?

He could see the man as a fuck buddy type person but in a relationship like he thought he’d have with Renji? He had felt Grimm’s magnetism. Who the hell hadn’t? But he had a sharp mouth and even sharper personality. And Ichigo didn’t fuck just to fuck. Who knew Grimm felt more? Ichigo hadn’t known the man was capable of love. He leaned back against the white couch and sighed. All this was fucked up.

Ichigo, was mated to Renji. Renji hadn’t mated to Shiro. No one had mated to Grimm but it was promised. And Ichigo had seen the way the two interacted and it was HOT. Ichigo wondered why he wasn’t jealous. Was it because they had both made it perfectly clear that they wanted him?

And should he feel like a slut after his first threesome? He knew a lot of shinigami’s had them. He just hadn’t. And now he’d had Grimm’s hand inside his… him while Renji jacked him off.

Ichigo scrubbed his hands through his hair. He didn’t feel upset about any of it. Was he pissed off that all this had happened and he didn’t have any say in it?

He could be. He was surprised he wasn’t epically pissed off. Grimm wasn’t his choice. And now he was stuck with him… supposedly forever. And Renji, who had said that he’d only wanted

Ichigo, not only was ok with sharing Renji but now wanted Grimm too?

Something had happened there. Something he needed more information on. Because they meshed too well now. And it wasn’t just because they’d mouth fucked.

Shiro stepped up from behind him and wrapped an arm around Ichigo. And that quickly, Ichigo was in his inner world. Things looked the same.

“Toxic,” Shiro said.

“What,” Ichigo asked.

“I’m pretty sure that’s the word ya were searching for.”

Ichigo spun and stepped away. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“It’s toxic in here. And you need to get off your ass and do something about it,” Shiro asserted.

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. “Right now, it’s pretty damn hard to be doing much of anything.” Ichigo hated to admit the truth.

“You’re managing to think yourself into knots real well.”

“Then you tell me why Renji is suddenly ok with Grimm,” Ichigo demanded, expecting to shut Shiro up.

“Their reiatsus meshed when they saved you.” Shiro picked his teeth with the knife.

Ichigo’s mouth fell open. “How the hell does that happen?”

“It’s not something that happens often, like never. But everyone knows about it.”

“Everyone but me,” Ichigo grumbled.

“Yeah, everyone but you. Again.” Shiro stuck his tongue out at Ichigo and wagged it around. “But it’s like taboo cause like both people have to open up a part of their inner world to let it happen.”

Ichigo’s eyebrows rose.

“Not really their inner worlds, Ichigo,” Zangetsu said. “It’s more like their inner worlds rub together, but they don’t open. And if they both agree, then they will mesh. You really need to talk to your prospective mates about this.”

“Yeah,” Ichigo mumbled. Cause NOW he kind of felt left out. They’d gone and meshed without him. He wanted to slap himself upside the head for that. What? He sighed.

“So am I here for any other actual information?”

“I want to kick your ass and serve it to you on a plate,” Shiro said. “Talk to your fucking mates.”

“They aren’t my mates yet!”

“You’ve accepted them. You’re just too much of a pansy ass to admit it. But they are FINE. Hurry up so I get my turn.”

Ichigo reached out and silently called Zangetsu to him but to his disappointment his inner world was already disappearing to the sound of Shiro’s cackling laughter. “Fucking hollow,” he muttered.

“At least he’s not talking about me this time,” the lower drawl brought Ichigo’s head snapping up and around until he met with mirthful blue eyes. The visard was sweaty and dirty and sprawled in the chair across from him.

“What the hell did I do to deserve all you assholes? Does anyone know how to knock?” Ichigo asked when he saw Renji lounging on the arm of the sofa Ichigo was resting in.

“We did, but when you didn’t answer we decided to check on you,” Renji said.

“You could have showered.”

Renji had a trickle of blood running down the side of his face Ichigo wanted to clean up for him and he was as filthy as Grimm, if not more so.

Now that he looked again, there were some definite red spots on Grimm’s shikasho as well. Good.

“So what did Shiro have to say?” Renji asked.

Ichigo frowned. “He said I had to ask you about how your reiatsu came to mesh.”

Renji and Grimm looked at each other and stood.

“Shower,” said Grimm.

“I’m going to shower,” Renji declared at the same time.

“Cowards,” Ichigo taunted.

The two spun towards him with varying looks of incredulity. He crossed his arms and smirked. “Go clean up. We’ll eat and then you can explain. Apparently it’s important.” Ichigo didn’t add the words ‘to his sanity’. He also didn’t ask if they were going to be showering separately. For some reason that was also important.


	7. Mating habits of Ichigo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anyway... So this chapter begins the.... intimacy. lots and lots of it. So much of it you'll need tissues. Pages and pages of it. The rest of this story will be a threesome fest... with a small side of Shiro. And some plot. Just so you know what you're getting into. I hope you enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To Ambrosian Dream. Please put email in comment and I won't approve it. Then we can talk. I can't figure out another way to contact each other. I do have a tumbler at Shinigamililly.tumbler.com but I'm not really sure how it works. That sounds horrible right? I do want to talk to you. Now I sound desperate.

Renji rinsed the blood and dirt off his body and wondered what he was going to say to Ichigo. He considered telling Grimmjow that he should explain but that probably wouldn’t work either. He grunted at sore muscles as he twisted his hair to get the shampoo out and put in conditioner. The fight had been amazing. Grimm could flat out fight when he wanted to.

 

Could he argue that Ichigo didn’t really didn’t need to know about the reiatsu?

 

That would never work, especially not if Shiro said it was important. Why did he have to tell Ichigo that he’d made himself vulnerable to Grimm? Why did it bother him so? He slapped his hand against the sweaty white tiles. He absolutely hated how out control this made him feel.

 

Fucking Ichigo, he knew things were never going to be easy with him. Now he’d added Grimmjow. Renji was going to go crazy.

 

\------

 

Grimmjow didn’t bother to knock when he finished his shower. He walked in to find Ichigo alone, napping on the couch. He couldn’t help the small smile that lifted his lips.

 

A lock of orange hair fell over the narrow face so he walked over and brushed it out of the way. His fingertips caressed the smooth skin of Ichigo’s forehead.

 

“You are a pain in the ass, Kurosaki Ichigo. But you are my pain in the ass,” he said softly.

 

He sat in one of the barrel chairs and put his feet up on the white, wood table. His eyes trailed over the lean figure possessively and then settled in to watch the steady rise and fall of his chest.

 

Only then did he let his mind wander to the other man that would be joining them. Renji had saved his life. The shinigami had shown loyalty and integrity. Those were qualities that Grimmjow respected. Renji could have made it very difficult for him to be accepted by Ichigo. He hadn’t been blind to the way Ichigo had turned to the red-head for direction, even if Ichigo hadn’t known it himself. And yet, Red, Renji, had been nothing but… accommodating. Why? It couldn’t be as simple as Grimm having surprised them in the bedroom earlier. Red was strong and damn protective of what he saw was his.

 

With a lingering look at Ichigo, Grimmjow used the arms of the chair to push himself to his feet. He strode quickly to the door. He needed to know what was up with Red. Something wasn’t right.

 

Red was just leaving his room when Grimmjow came upon him. The crimson hair was dark, still wet from his shower and hung around his face. He was obviously surprised to see the Visard.

 

“What’s up?” Red asked.

 

Grimmjow nodded to the other man’s room. “We need to talk before we talk to Ichigo.”

 

Red crossed his arms. He was wearing a tight black t-shirt and jeans that even Grimmjow had to admit looked good on him. “Why.”

 

“This isn’t a conversation for the hallway, Red.” Grimmjow knew his frustration could be heard in his voice. He didn’t like having to explain himself. He was making an effort here.

 

The taller man leaned his back against the door and crossed an ankle over the other. “Why Grimm? What do you want to talk about without Ichigo around?”

 

Insolence practically poured from the shinigami and it made him want to beat the hell out of the man he’d just spent hours sparing with. “Fuck this,” he hissed. “I’m trying to be polite here.” He stepped into Red’s space and put a hand on the door next to the other’s head. He could feel wet hair against his wrist. “I want to know why you are just accepting me without more of a damn fight.”

 

“‘Cause if it was you, you’d be fighting tooth and nail to keep Ichigo all to yourself?” Red asked in a deep voice that Grimmjow couldn’t read. The taicho’s eyes were expressionless.

 

“Exactly. Let me in, Red.”

 

“Just be happy with what you’re getting, Blue.” The last was whispered into his ear.

 

He considered this for a moment. “I’ve never been good at settling.”

 

Red leaned back, a surprised look on his face. “Isn’t it everything you wanted?”

 

“Let me in that door, Red. Tell me why it was this easy,” Grimm urged.

 

“You think this was easy?”

 

Grimmjow huffed. “You know I’d do it again. And again. But you let me live. And then you could have made it much harder for Ichigo to accept me. Why didn’t you?”

 

“I saved you because Ichigo would have wanted me to.”

 

There was truth in that. “Fine. And you agreed I could be your third. But that didn’t mean you had to be so welcoming.”

 

Red shoved at him with a forearm to the chest but Grimmjow was braced and barely had to shift his weight.

 

“You don’t like the welcome you got? Fine. I can be a bigger asshole. Ichigo will be royally pissed but that’s too bad. You can tell him it’s your fault.”

 

“Shit! What are you hiding?” He really wanted to know.

 

“Get the fuck off me, Grimmjow. Now.”

 

“Oh, I like that tone.” Grimmjow licked his lips. He fought the urge to adjust himself. “I know you can be as much of a possessive asshole as I can when it comes to Ichigo, Renji. What changed your mind? It can’t just be that I’m sexy. I know I’m good, but we haven’t even done the deed yet.”

 

Grimmjow barely felt the air rushing past him as headed towards the ground. His feet had been swept out from underneath him and his shoulders pressed back. He hit the ground with one hand and clenched his core so he came back up and retreated a step as Red took one forward.

 

Red’s eyes blazed with fury but his hands stayed relaxed at his sides. “Don’t try to get into my head Grimmjow. You don’t need to be there. Take what you’ve gotten and be glad for it, or throw it the fuck away. Right now, I don’t honestly give a fuck. But you got the door to Ichigo you wanted. The rest is up to you.”

The shinigami turned and without a backward glance strode away.

 

Grimmjow followed him down the hallway with his hands in his pockets. He wanted to know that secret in the worst way.

 

Red suddenly started braiding his hair as he walked, hands quick and efficient. Grimmjow was surprised at how little time it took and how the sight affected him. It was like watching the man put on a piece of armor.

 

It made him feel a little sad knowing he had probably been the cause of it. His breath caught. When had Red been able to affect him like that?

 

He frowned and followed the slightly larger man through the door into Ichigo’s room. There was food on the low table.

 

Red walked over to where Ichigo was sitting on the couch and perched beside the younger man. He swung an arm around him. “How are you feeling?”

 

“I’m a little groggy from all the sleep, but I hate feeling this damn low on energy.”

 

Red nodded and squeezed his shoulder. “I know you hate to hear this from me, but it just takes time. I’m just glad you’re back. You ready for dinner?”

 

Ichigo looked into Red’s eyes and then over to where Grimmjow was leaning in the hallway. He squinted between the two of them.

 

“What happened between the two of you? I thought you went to take showers…. Separately?”

 

Grimmjow chuckled. “Is that jealousy, Strawberry?” He wasn’t about to say anything about how it pissed him off to see how comfortable Red was with Ichigo. He wanted nothing more than to go over and lick all that new skin covering Ichigo.

 

To his shock Ichigo looked away and just might have turned red. “NO!” His eyes held some sort of emotion Grimmjow wished he could identify when he turned back around but the color in his cheeks was gone. “You two seemed to be friends…”

 

“Tch,” Grimmjow said.

 

Renji huffed.

 

“Fine if not friends, at least getting along. And now there is a tension between you two. What happened?”

 

Red glared at Grimmjow. “Blue doesn’t know when to stop pushing.”

 

Ichigo looked him over from head to toe and Grimmjow just dared to find him anything but sexy.

 

“Yeah, Ren, he has that problem. It’s usually a pain in the ass. Occasionally it turns out to be a good thing.”

 

Grimmjow couldn’t help but grin at the phrasing. “I do so love being a pain in the ass.”

 

Ichigo scowled at him. “He needs more socialization.”

 

Red laughed.

“What the fuck do you mean by that?” Grimmjow asked.

 

“You could try to be less of an ass Grimm,” Ichigo said.

 

He snorted. “Why bother?”

 

“Cause you want some of this ass.” Ichigo sounded pissed.

 

“We have to mate.”

 

“That only has to happen once, or am I wrong?”

 

Red’s face looked carefully blank.

 

“Oh, you won’t be able to keep your hands off of me after that.” Grimmjow knew he sounded cocky but if it was the truth? He shrugged.

 

Ichigo stood and sauntered over to Grimmjow. The orange haired shinigami wore his normal frown, his hands hung at his sides, fingers loose but the caramel eyes danced with an unholy light that concerned Grimm. The strawberry tilted his head to the left and looked up to meet Grimmjow’s eyes.

 

Faster than Grimmjow knew what to do with, Ichigo grabbed Grimm’s cock through his pants, making the larger man gasp in shock.

 

“You think one time with this?” Ichigo squeezed the bulge until the pleasure became painful and then harder still. He’d had stab wounds that hurt less. “Is enough to make even YOUR personality suddenly desirable?”

 

“Fuck!” Grimmjow grabbed Ichigo’s wrist and pulled it away from his screaming dick. He paused then, his large hand around the narrow wrist and controlled his breathing. He took a moment to study the long fingers on the thin hand before bringing it to his face and pressing a kiss to the center of the palm. Fuck if a pissed off Ichigo wasn’t arousing as hell.

 

Grimmjow licked up Ichigo’s middle finger and then sucked on the very tip in a sexy, suggestive manner. “I’m certain it will make up for a hell of a lot.” He gave a final lingering lick and then released the strawberry’s hand. He grinned. With teeth.

 

A quick check of Ichigo’s eyes showed that he was aroused. Of course, Grimmjow could already smell that. It was a deep tangy smell, like roasted peppers and cinnamon mixed with chocolate. It tasted the same way.

 

Ichigo’s voice was raspy. “You’re so full of yourself I’m surprised there’s any room for all that shit you say. I cannot wait until I can kick your ass Grimmjow. Again.”

 

Grimmjow laughed. “Does this mean we should call it foreplay?”

 

A white pillow came sailing at his head and Grimmjow blocked it with his left forearm.

 

Red said “Sit the fuck down so we can eat. I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry and Ichigo needs to eat.”

 

Grimmjow glared at Red who was shaking his head and smirking.

 

“Fucker,” Grimjow muttered. What was up with Red? He wanted to know that secret. SOMETHING made Red save him and let him in like this. He ran his eyes over the angled jaw and jagged tatts. That crimson hair looked like it would be interesting to hold.

 

Red lifted a brow in response to Grimm’s study of him but didn’t say anything.

 

Grimmjow followed Ichigo over and sat down in the chair across from the two other men. He figured he’d wait it out and see what happened.

 

“So explain to me how you two ended up with meshed reiatsu?” Ichigo prompted as soon as he had a bowl full of food.

 

“I thought we were going to discuss this after dinner,” Red complained.

 

“You know he has no patience. He’s more like me in that,” Grimmjow said. He ignored the frown Ichigo sent him. Grimmjow shrugged. “It happened after I immobilized you. Right at the end.” He looked at Red.

 

Red set down the plate he had just started eating off of. He rested his elbows on his knees, hands dangled and stared at the white stone of the floor. “Grimm had controlled… Zangetsu and I grabbed you both. Zabimaru howled and I released my reiatsu. Grimm released his.” Red shrugged. “I guess we just meshed.”

 

Grimmjow stared at the red-head. “It was a hella harder than that. I thought the hollow’s reiatsu was going to swallow us, starting with Red. I don’t know what happened.” He narrowed his eyes in thought. Obviously something had happened in that time to the older shinigami. “But suddenly we meshed and together we were able to push back the hollow’s reiatsu.”

 

“Renji?” Ichigo asked.

 

Renji’s gaze when he looked up, was so pained that Grimmjow nearly gasped. He looked at Ichigo, but the younger man never even glanced at Grimmjow. Ichigo's mouth opened and then closed.

 

The redhead stood and walked to the window where he looked out over the still ravaged grounds of Las Noches.

 

“I don’t know why you need to know what happened. We meshed.”

 

“You saved my life,” Grimmjow said.

 

“What?” Ichigo asked, face turning towards the Vizard.

 

“I think I was nearly dead. Pantera said I was dying but someone cared enough to come for me. And then a tendril of our meshed reiatsu came for me. Renji chose to save me.”

 

“Why did you accept me?” Renji turned from the window, hands fisted. “You did it so you could get to Ichigo. I was your way to him. And YOU were my way to him during the fight. Let it end there.”

 

Grimmjow put his plate on the table and stood. “But that’s not it is it?” He cocked his head to the side. “You didn’t just accept me because of that, no more than our reiatsu could have meshed if you were a simple means to Ichigo for me.” He walked up to Renji until they were about and hand’s width apart.

 

“So what was it for you Red? You tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine,” he said suggestively.

 

Red’s laugh was harsh. “You’re saying you accepted me? What the fuck. The only thing you’ve accepted in your life had to do with Ichigo and your insane path to get to him.”

 

“I’m not blind Red,” Grimmjow growled and fisted a hand in Renji’s gray shirt. “I know you came from less than nothing. I know you learned to scratch and fight and you crawled when you had to. You are a holy terror when pissed off but loyal to a fault and you make a half-way decent captain for a shinigami.” He was breathing hard and his voice had gotten louder. “You think I didn’t know who else he might have chosen over me? I would have fought like hell anyone else that touched Ichigo intimately. I knew it was over the moment he left with you. You were the only one who actually cared enough about him. I hadn’t expected to live through the damn fight with the two of you.” Fuck he hadn’t meant to say the last crap.

 

He spun around and put his back to Red and Ichigo and ran a hand through his hair. Why did these two men have to make him admit so much? He hated being vulnerable.

There was pressure on his shoulder and he jerked only to realize it was Red’s hand. The big hand squeezed.

 

“Shit,” Red said in a low voice from behind him. “I guess this means I have to tell you too.” Renji let go and Grimmjow turned to see him lean against the wall and cross his muscled arms over his chest. Red looked at Ichigo.

 

“At that last moment, I was being squeezed or pulled, I’m not sure how to describe it, by the reiatsu of the hollow and Grimm’s. Grimm’s is what he is, chaos... destruction. Those... that is something I have fought against since… well for a long time. Soul Society is regimented and how they train you is as well. I may have once been a wild dog but I had to change to become a fukutaicho in the 6th. The 11th was different. It has rules all it’s own. But it was like I became a different person, one I didn't really know anymore, at least until you came along, Ichigo.”

 

Grimmjow didn’t know what those rules were, but he wasn’t going to interrupt. He knew that the 11th was the out of control fighting division though.

 

“So to come up against Grimmjow’s reiatsu was like fighting at my soul level the very thing I had tried so hard to train out of myself. It was like a rasp against everything I was built upon.”

 

Grimmjow didn’t dare move.

 

The crimson eyes met Grimmjow’s and he had to blink. He saw the untamed wildness inside Renji Abarai, the part that hadn’t been tapped yet. “And I accepted it. It was like… I gained a piece of home I didn’t know I was missing.”

 

Grimmjow felt his lips twitch into a feral smile. “You’re stronger now too. I don’t know if it’s because we meshed or because you accepted that side of you but I can see it in your eyes. You’re stronger, Red.”

 

Ichigo cleared his throat. “Are you guys going to mouth fuck again? Cause that was really hot and I can’t even touch myself until tomorrow.”

 

\----------------------------

 

The next day, Ichigo sat down across from Nel. “So what the hell is going on in Soul Society?”

 

Nel smirked at him from behind a teal painted tea cup. “You mean besides the fact that you’ve once again surprised or pissed everyone off?”

 

Ichigo scratched his left ear.

 

She set her cup down and looked at him with a serious expression. “To be truthful, I think that it will be a while before you will be accepted back and that will only be with the full mate bonds in place on you and Shiro.”

 

Ichigo looked at the skin on the back of his hands where they rested on his thighs. They were so smooth, unscarred, unmarred. They were too perfect. “I won’t rush through that, no matter what anyone wants. I know that part of the problem was because we didn’t before…”

 

“Itsy-go,” Nel interrupted in her little girl voice. “You are safe here. You no longer have the Yokkyuu pressuring you. Take what control you have and decide how you want this to work. I recommend you don’t take longer than 10 days only because I think that would make it hard on the bond. Get to know Grimmie.” She smirked at him and her eyes shimmered. “You certainly found two hot mates. You should have a good time I’d think.”

 

Ichigo blushed. He had not expected that from her. And hearing that in that girly voice. He sighed. “I really don’t want to hear that from you.”

 

She giggled from behind a long fingered hand. “Go get ‘em Itsy-go!”

 

____________________

 

Ichigo stood on a large pile of white boulders and watched red and blue fight. Renji and Grimmjow whipped across the barren landscape the sound of their blades meeting echoed in his ears.

 

Their energy made him want to fight so badly he’d dug his nails into the palms of his hands. The two men were magnificent. Grimm was so damn agile and fast. When Ichigo had first fought the Espada he’d thought the arrancar larger than life. Grimmjow was so cocky. That part hadn’t changed Ichigo admitted. Ichigo allowed himself to wonder what it would feel like to have all of that intensity around him.

 

What would it be like to be taken by Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez? He shivered. The man was power like no one else he knew except for Kenpachi.

 

He wanted it to be mutual though. He wasn’t some needy bottom. At least not all the time. He still hated admitting that to himself.

 

But this wasn’t going away. The best he could do was to make a deal with the Sexta. He grinned. If Grimm wanted his ass, then Ichigo was going to get Grimm’s first. Renji and Grimm must have finished their spar because they both stood at the base of the boulder looking up at him.

 

Ichigo smirked.

 

Renji shook his head. “That look always comes before epic trouble. What do you have in mind Ichigo?”

 

Ichigo looked over at his best friend. There was a sadness though in the crimson eyes that Ichigo wished he could fix but knew that would have to wait for later. But he knew the man understood and it was more than he could have ever hoped for.

 

Ichigo turned back to Grimm. “Maybe you should have been more careful what you wished for Grimm. My room. Two hours.”

 

_________________________________________

 

Ichigo was nervous and that pissed him off. He stood in just a pair of loose black pants and walked to the window. He hadn’t been nervous with Renji, but that had happened so fast. Fuck, but the thought of Renji hurt. They had something so tangible between them. He didn’t want this to ruin that. But, he and Grimm had to mate. He had wondered if he should keep them all together, but Shiro had said it would be better to separate them. So here he was, waiting for Grimmjow.

 

Grimmjow had wanted him for so long that Ichigo kind of didn’t want to disappoint him. He rolled his eyes. He didn’t think that would happen but he didn’t know what Grimmjow expected from him. He pushed the thought away. He was who he was, and as much as he wanted to deny it, he had no idea how he would react to such a dominant male.

 

But he was going to top Grimm first and he was prepared for a massive fight over it. He wished he could just go out and actually kick Grimm’s ass first and show him he could own it. But he didn’t know if he’d get Grimm to understand that he NEEDED it. He wasn’t going to be the bottom all the time in this relationship.

 

Renji had understood. And even if it was only once with Grimm that he could top, he thought that would be enough.

 

He ran his fingers over the smooth cool stone. Everything felt so… silent here. It wasn’t dead, just so very quiet.

 

The door to the room opened and Ichigo didn’t turn to look. He could feel that it was Grimm. The knowledge of it wasn’t just in his ability to sense the other’s reiatsu, it seemed more than that. He could feel the man’s presence in his bones, solid, just as he could Renji’s.

 

Grimm walked to his side and they stood there, not saying anything.

 

Ichigo let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “Grimm, what I am about to say to you is very important to me.”

 

Grimm shifted next to him, he heard the clothing rustle. “Alright.”

 

“This Yokkyuu thing was unexpected to say the least. And it worked certain things out between Renji and I.”

 

Grimm grunted, probably not happy having Renji’s name brought up right then.

 

“And I had to bottom because of the Yokkyuu. And I know that’s what you expect here.” He glanced up at the blue eyes, silently asking the other man to wait for him to finish. “I know that you have to top and probably prefer to. But I will be a partner in this relationship, in and out of bed.” He swallowed. What the hell was he doing? This man had already had his hand in his ass, and they had barely made out. He took a step and pressed his lips against Grimm’s slightly chapped ones.

 

Before he knew it that large hand was cupping the side of his face, the fingers in his hair. Grimm’s tongue asked for entrance. Ichigo opened his mouth and met Grimm’s tongue with his own. They played tag, darting in and out of each other’s mouths, learning one another. Grimm moaned. Ichigo grabbed onto his biceps and held on. When they broke apart, they were both panting hard.

 

“Ichigo,” Grimm said when he’d caught his breath. “I could think of you as nothing less than a partner.” He licked up the side of Ichigo’s neck, causing the younger man to shiver and tilt his head for better access. “No matter how weak with pleasure I can make you, I’ll never forget how strong you are physically and in your heart. You would never be weak to me.” Grimm nibbled on Ichigo’s earlobe.

 

Ichigo hissed. He caught his breath and said, “You are going to get on that bed, naked, and you are going to let me learn you. You are going to let me take you and make you mine, Grimmjow, let me make you mindless with pleasure, because that will be your reward for having captured me after all this time.

 

\------------------------------------------------

 

Grimmjow stared at Ichigo. Damn but he was already hard and aching. He laughed.

 

Ichigo’s eyes widened.

 

“Fuck, Ichigo, the idea of letting you have your way with me is hotter than hell.” He put his hand on Ichigo’s cheek. “And I’m already fucking hard.” With his other hand he took Ichigo’s wrist and guided Ichigo so that he was cupping Grimmjow’s hard length through his jeans. Grimmjow couldn’t hold back a grunt. He’d wanted this for a long, long time. “But I’m a predator. I’m your MATE. And I have to take you.” He squeezed Ichigo’s wrist until he felt the bones move.

 

Ichigo was breathing quickly and he pressed his hand harder against Grimmjow’s cock. His eyes were bright with mischief. “I know that. I’ve accepted that. But I need to take you too. And I’ve decided to make you a deal. You let me pleasure you for two hours, without you turning the tables. I will do nothing you don’t want me to. After that you can have me.”

 

That sounded like heaven and hell all at once. Grimmjow opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. “Fuck it,” he muttered and bent to kiss the man he was in love with. He teased the shorter man, licking at Ichigo’s lips and then pulling away to see how they looked parted and wet. Immediately he thought about how they would look around his cock. He dove back in, not surprised to find he was met halfway by Ichigo.

 

Ichigo bit his bottom lip, surprising a grunt from the older man and then licked it before they came together, tasting one another. It was wet and filled with tongue. Grimmjow’s hand left Ichigo’s wrist and grabbed his ass, while the other slid into soft orange hair, trying to drive the kiss.

 

But Ichigo had a hand roaming under his shirt, fingertips pressing hard into the muscles of his back, making him want to arch into the touch.

 

They broke apart to breathe. Ichigo began to massage the larger man’s dick and Grimmjow caught his wrist again. “Damn, Ichigo.”

 

Ichigo smirked. His pupils were blown. Grimmjow could smell his arousal. He couldn’t help but press into the long fingered hand and back Ichigo into the wall.

 

He shifted his fingers in Ichigo’s hair pulling the other’s head back to expose the long neck. “You have no idea how hard I am resisting just ripping your pants off right this second.” He pressed his lips to Ichigo’s neck and then licked there before rubbing his teeth along the long stretch, not breaking skin but just showing dominance. He growled. Ichigo tensed and he knew the man was about to fight. “Ichigo, you need to understand.” Damn, why did he have to have a damn conscience. He could practically feel how tight and hot Ichigo would be around him. “If I let you have your way with me first, whether or not you fuck me, and I don’t think that will ever happen, my instincts will be screaming at me so hard to take you that I WILL hurt you. And I refuse to let that happen. So if I have to walk away.” He closed his eyes and swallowed. “Right now, so that you can think about this. I will.” He opened his eyes and stared into walnut hued ones. “I have to take you first. At least one time. I don’t know if I can ever let you have me the way you want. But I’ll let you pleasure me all you want, but the hollow instinct inside me needs to rub my scent everywhere on you. I need to be all over you, inside you. Do you understand?” His fingers scraped the stone and he knew the one holding Ichigo’s wrist shook slightly.

 

Ichigo’s eyes had narrowed.

 

Grimmjow had known Ichigo wasn’t going to like it. He just couldn’t change it.

 

“Do I need to walk away?” His voice was deep and he couldn’t help the way his hips pressed into Ichigo’s hand seeking the strength and warmth there.

 

Ichigo’s enticing scent surrounded him and he could just barely think straight. His breathing and heart beat were loud and harsh in his ears. “Ichigo.” He liked to think the word was more a command than a plea.

 

\-----------------------------------------

 

Renji leaned back on the sofa and looked at Nel who sat next to him. Across from them was Ulquiorra. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the pair, he just couldn’t completely relax with them. Especially since neither of them had said why he was there. They had just completed a light meal. The food had been good but Renji had been unsettled throughout. It had been difficult to keep his mind from wandering.

 

Renji said, “I don’t think I’ve told you that I like your rooms. If we are going to be here much longer, I think I’m going to have to ask for more color in our rooms as well. Ichigo and I are not used to this much white.” Damn it, there he went talking about Ichigo again. He was not going to imagine what Ichigo and Grimm were up to at that moment. He wasn’t! If he did, he might become angry, and that wasn’t going to help anyone at that point, certainly not in this company.

 

Nel smiled. “I’m sure we can arrange that. What colors do you like Abarai Taicho?”

 

“Please Nel, call me Renji. And I prefer green and brown.”

 

She looked at him as if studying him. “Very good. I will see that it is done.”

 

“Why am I here?” Renji asked.

 

“Because we did not want you to be alone,” Ulquiorra said.

 

Renji snorted. “A pity party for me?”

 

Nel stood up and clenched her hands. He’d forgotten how much of a presence she had in this form, especially when he had to look up at her. “Renji, you have done more for me and those I love then I can ever hope to repay. This is not a pity party. This is people wanting to be with you when you have difficult times.”

 

He considered that and rolled it around his tongue to see whether it was stale and rancid. But to his surprise, it tasted ok. He nodded a little ashamed of himself. He was still pretty sure it was a pity party but he wasn’t going to argue the fact. “Thank you.”

 

She nodded to Ulquiorra who poured the sake and then clapped her hands in excitement. “Let me tell you about my plans for your room.”

 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Ichigo couldn’t catch his breath. He’d forgotten that Grimm was a hollow. Or had been a hollow first. He felt the impending danger and loved it. Fuck.

 

“Don’t expect me to be a fucking doormat, Grimmjow.”

 

Grimmjow moved their hands from between their bodies and bent his knees so they when they rubbed they were cock to cock.

 

“If you were a doormat, Kurosaki, I wouldn’t want you.”

 

Ichigo felt a shiver of excitement run through him, not unlike when he was about to fight. “So you want me, huh?”

 

Grimm grabbed Ichigo’s right leg and wrapped it around the larger man’s waist. His look was feral. “It passed want a long damn time ago. I’m going to have you. Over and over again.”

 

Ichigo tilted his head. “Only if you’re good.”

 

Grimm laughed. “Oh, my Strawberry, I’m very, very good.”

 

Ichigo leaned forward and licked Grimm’s neck. He chuckled at the shiver he got in response “Not Strawberry,” he said and then bit down.

 

Grimm’s hips thrust into his own, grinding and he growled. Grimm’s hand in Ichigo’s hair yanked him away until he met blue eyes. There was almost no blue left in them.

 

“Hold the fuck on or I’ll take you against the wall dry.”

 

Ichigo bit his lip to hold in some noise he didn’t want escaping, he was sure it would have been needy as hell and wrapped his leg around Grimm’s waist.

 

Grimm grabbed his ass with one hand and carried him effortlessly. Ichigo wondered if he should feel emasculated but he decided that he’d let it go just this once. In retaliation he mouthed at Grimm’s sharp jawline.

 

“You are a fuck’n handful,” Grimm grumbled.

 

Ichigo laughed. His thighs tightened around the larger man without his permission. The vizard’s voice did something to him. He was so hard. In no time they were passing through the arched doorway to the bedroom.

 

Grimm had Ichigo pinned to the round bed before he knew it. The wild grin took up most of the gorgeous man’s face. “You’re mine now Strawberry.” Strong hands were in his orange hair and Grimm licked up his neck before nibbling on his ear lobe.

 

“You call me strawberry again and I’ll call you kitten. I have a name, use it.”

 

“Ichi-go, I am going to fuck you so damn good,” Grimm whispered into his ear. “I can’t wait to feel how hot and smooth you’ll be around my cock.” The words, combined with the feeling of warm breath made him gasp and arch. He dug his nails into the back of Grimm’s neck.

 

“Won’t you just shut the fuck up?” Ichigo strained against the hold on his hair but he was pinned.

 

Grimmjow laughed. He lifted up so they were looking at each other. “Why the hell would I do that? I can tell it turns you on.”

 

“Bastard.”

 

A chuckle had them both freezing. No one should have gotten in without their notice.

 

They turned to see Renji leaning against the doorway to the bedroom.

 

Grimm growled. “This is my time.”

 

Renji grabbed his green t-shirt at the back of his neck and pulled it over his head. “No. It works with all three or not at all.”

 

“What the fuck would you know? You have never been Arrancar.” Grimm lowered his pelvis, connecting himself to Ichigo and lifted up on his arms to look at the Shinigami.

His body was hot and cold at once. He ached to have Pantera in his hand. He could feel his nails lengthening. “You have no idea how this works.”

 

“I know when you first came back he wanted me next to him, touching him when he came. I told him I would not leave him. I mated him first. I will be here when you take him, Grimm.”

 

Grimm obviously did not like the reminder of Renji touching Ichigo when they brought him off. “He is mine,” Grimm hissed.

 

“That’s why I’m here. To remind you that he is mine as well.”

 

“Grimm, Renji, knock it off,” Ichigo said. “This is ridiculous.”

 

“He chose this,” Grimm reminded the red-head. “He wants me alone.” He watched Red circle towards the head of the bed and growled again. Renji slowed but didn’t stop moving.

 

“I tried to let this go. But whatever made me his mate isn’t having it. I can’t do it. Like I said. I’m here, or it doesn’t happen at all.”

 

Grimm pushed up and crouched over Ichigo, feet straddling Ichigo’s legs. “Get away from my mate,” he growled.

 

Red took a deep breath. “I’m going to hold him, or at least his hand.”

 

“While I fuck him and make him cry out my name?” Grimm asked incredulously. “You are a glutton for punishment. You’re afraid I’m so good he’ll forget who you are.”

 

Red took a step towards Grimm.

\------------------------------------------

 

Pain shot through Grimmjow’s entire body as white light shot across his vision. He grunted and fell to his knees.

 

When he came to his senses, moments later, he was laying on his side, clutching his cock and balls. Ichigo had Red pinned to the wall with a forearm to the long, tattooed neck. Ichigo’s lithe body was flexed beautifully.

 

“Get out Grimm.” Ichigo said. “I am not some bitch to be fought over. Get out now! Before I call Zengetsu and break Hanataru’s ban on fighting.”

 

Grimmjow had to remind himself how to breathe before he could move. He bit his lip as he uncurled himself. “Fuck Ichigo! Did you have to take your anger out on my best parts?” He was aware his voice was a bit higher than he would have liked. “And why should I leave? I was here first! I should kill you for this, Red.”

 

Ichigo looked over his shoulder. Grimmjow could see just how pissed off the man was. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen Ichigo quite so angry before.

 

Ichigo said with a shrug, “I could have rearranged your balls so they were next to your heart. I should have known this wasn’t going to be easy.”

 

“And you!” Ichigo looked back at Red. “You couldn’t have figured this out earlier?”

 

Red shrugged. “Would you have listened? Now you know I’m serious.”

 

“All I want right now is to beat the fuck out of the two of you. You are driving me insane. Shit! You fucking bastard. Tell me the truth Renji. Why are you here? You told me this was ok. I’m having a hell of a time with this as it is.”

 

Grimmjow rolled over and up so he was sitting on the side of the bed. His breathing was a bit ragged and he was watching them through narrowed eyes. His elbows were on his thighs, hands resting between them. Damn but that hurt. No one had ever gotten close enough to do that to him before. There was a part of him tempted to run the two of them through just on principle. It would hurt like hell to lose his mates, but they were not supposed to treat him like this, he was supposed to be the Alpha male.

He grunted quietly and waited to hear Red’s answer, Grimmjow didn’t expect the taller man to look at him from over Ichigo’s shoulder, he just looked back impassively. There was no way in hell he was going to help the Shinigami at this point.

 

Red turned back to Ichigo, his big hands fisted. “I thought I could let you just be with each other, and maybe later I can. But right now, maybe it’s because I’ve barely been with you, I won’t give you up to him.”

 

Grimmjow snorted. “You ain’t given him up.”

 

“I know that. But I can’t let it happen. I fucken tried.” Red turned to him and Grimmjow could see the fire in him.

 

The former Arrancar grinned and rose to his feet, ignoring the lingering pain. “We could fight for him.”

 

He felt the reiatsu spill off Red even as Ichigo turned and looked incredulously at Grimmjow. “What the fuck am I supposed to do with you two?”

 

Ichigo backed away from Red and stared at the floor for a moment. His arms were loose at his side.

 

Grimmjow ached to put his fist through Red’s face but he held back. It wasn’t that he couldn’t understand what the other was going through.

 

“Grimm,” Grimmjow’s head jerked towards his mate. This sounded bad. “You are my mate. But first I made promises to Renji, promises that implied fidelity.” Ichigo looked into Grimm’s face. His eyes were pained. “And my word is my bond. I feel a connection with him that is unfulfilled. So I suppose, you can wait while Renji and I try to solidify that connection or you have him here with us.”

 

Fuck that! Grimmjow’s jaw clamped and his hands ached they were fisted so tight. He opened his mouth to protest everything inside him ready to fight for Ichigo...

 

“He can just be in the room, not touching, not talking” Ichigo looked at Renji and it was like they were communicating silently. “I don’t know if I can give any more than that to either of you right now.”

 

He turned to grab his clothes but Grimmjow caught his arm and pulled him closer. He looked down at the slender man. “Ichigo, I,” but he couldn’t finish what he was going to say. Instead he just clutched Ichigo’s hair in his free hand and kissed the still swollen lips. Lips that he had made swollen. He licked them and Ichigo let him inside. He ate at those lips, showing both of them that he wasn’t about to let Ichigo just leave.

 

When he lifted his head, Ichigo’s eyes were half lidded. “I’m not waiting," Grimmjow said and looked over at Red who leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. His expression showed nothing. “I’ve waited far too long to have you under me. If Red wants to watch how much better I can dick you, then so be it.”

 

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. “Fuck you.”

 

Grimmjow tugged Ichigo’s hair, exposing the younger shinigami’s neck before running his tongue up the length. The salty taste of Ichigo had him getting hard. He breathed in the scent of Ichigo and then said into his ear, “You were pretty rough on my cock earlier and I haven’t forgiven you. I think you’re going to need to kiss..lick and suck it better.”

 

He felt the slight quiver of the man in his arms and knew Ichigo was turned on, could smell it in the air. He felt Ichigo’s half hard cock against his thigh.

 

Grimmjow was running a thin line. His Arrancar side wanted desperately to throw Ichigo to the floor and fuck him dry, to dominate the hell out of him, bite his shoulder and make him bleed, especially in front of Red. But he loved Ichigo and he wanted… needed Ichigo to crave his touch.

 

His balls still ached from Ichigo’s rough treatment but he wasn’t going to let that stop him. He pulled back. “You want to taste me, don’t you?”  
Ichigo was breathing hard and fast. His muscles were strung tight.

 

Grimmjow could easily see he was fighting himself. The question was what was Grimmjow going to do about it. The Visard's nails lengthened a bit and he bit his lip in hopes the pain would allow him to get a grip. He was determined not to let his instincts ruin this.

 

Instead, he did exactly the opposite of his urges and stepped away. He felt Ichi watch as Grimmjow grabbed himself and rubbed a thumb over the head before peeling back the frenulum. It felt so good to feel those cinnamon eyes just on him. “Ichi, take what we both know you want.”

 

“Lay down on the bed,” Ichigo commanded.

 

Grimmjow shook his head. That wasn’t going to satisfy any of those dominant urges. “On your knees.” He surprised himself with how deep his voice had dropped. “Come suck my cock, Ichigo. Let me fill your mouth with my dick.”

 

He put his large hand on Ichigo’s shoulder pressed. It wasn’t hard, he knew Ichigo would balk at that.

 

“You want it too,” Ichigo said as if it were an argument.

 

He chuckled. “Fuck yeah I want your mouth on me, Ichigo Kurosaki. I thought I was perfectly clear I want that contrary mouth around my cock.”

 

Ichigo grabbed Grimmjow’s forearm and held it tightly. “Kiss me,” Ichigo demanded.

 

Grimmjow had no problem with that even though before Ichigo he really hadn’t had any love for kissing. It was too sentimental. He tugged the orange haired man close and they looked at each other for a moment. His flesh was on fire and he wondered if Ichigo could sense it.

 

If he fucked up here he could lose this man forever. As he watched, the frown lines returned between Ichigo’s brows and Grimmjow smirked. He pressed a kiss right there before saying against the forehead. “I’m fighting my instincts to get you on my dick right now and rip you open.”

 

Ichigo tensed. The former Arrancar looked into Ichigo’s eyes, making sure the man understood and then licked open Ichigo’s lips. He grunted at the first taste and then pried open his mouth even more open with his thumb on the joint of his jaw. He needed more. He took all he could from that mouth, groaning when Ichigo grabbed Grimm’s blue hair and kissed him back just as hungrily. It was hot and wet, smooth and hard and Grimm forced it into the rhythm he’d be fucking Ichigo soon. He pulled back and smirked when Ichigo moaned.

 

Spit stretched between the two of them, dangling in the air connecting them and it gave Grimmjow a perverse satisfaction. He could imagine the spit connecting Ichigo’s mouth to his cock exactly the same way.

 

He ran the tips of his fingers along Ichigo’s hard cock even as he bent forward opened his mouth against Ichigo’s neck, wide as if he was going to tear it open. Fuck, he was touching Ichigo’s dick, finally!

 

Ichigo’s gasp filled the room and he panted, trying to suck in air. Yet he lifted his chin, exposing more of his throat. Yes!

 

Grimmjow stayed where he was, poised over one of his mate’s weakest points feeling Ichigo’s accelerated pulse under his tongue. He tasted so perfect and strong. The primal part of him wanted him to bite down, to taste the salty, hot blood.

 

Ichigo’s cock never grew soft. It spasmed against his fingers as if asking for more. Grimmjow collected the pre-cum that dripped from the smooth head then ran his hand upward smearing it over the solid abs and pecs until he was cradling the other side of of Ichigo’s throat.

 

He drew his mouth upward, letting his teeth catch on the flesh until he reached Ichigo’s ear. He wondered if he was actually trembling or if he was just so excited his skin felt like it might peel away. “Suck me,” he growled. “I need you to.”

 

Ichigo made a sound between a moan and whimper that was bit off.

 

The larger man ran a hand through the thick orange hair. “Don’t be afraid of how I make you feel.”

 

Ichigo pulled away. “Who the fuck would be afraid?” He snapped, before dropping to his knees.

 

Grimmjow’s smirk was cut off by a groan as Ichigo placed both hands on his large cock and stroked, getting a feeling for it. As much as he’d imagined this exact moment, it was so much better.

 

His feet slid apart into a stronger stance, and gave his mate more room to work with. The sensation of those brown eyes on him was heavy and his dick twitched and drooled under the inspection.

 

“See anything you want down there, Ichi?”

 

Ichigo glared upward, making Grimmjow chuckle. This moment would be burned into Grimmjow’s mind forever.

 

Without looking, Ichigo licked the tip of Grimmjow’s cock, the slick pressure making the Visard gasp.

 

“I haven’t decided yet. I’ll have to let you know,” Ichigo replied.

 

The older man bared his teeth and growled. He had to force himself to relax before he shoved his cock in that mouth. Shit, Ichigo and his damn mouth. Grimmjow knew he was breathing too quickly. His heart thundered in his chest. He wanted this more than he’d known, to have Ichigo at his feet, sucking him off.

 

Ichigo had the audacity to chuckle and smirk before rubbing his cheek against Grimmjow’s throbbing length and then turned and run his lips down the side of the shaft.

 

_________

 

Renji pressed himself back against the wall to keep himself from going to the pair. By all that was holy he wanted to touch.

 

He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised, but he was. He shocked that he wasn’t upset at what was transpiring before him. He was so fucking turned on it was all he could do to remain silent and still. He forced himself to take deep breaths. His cock ached so bad in his jeans that his nails were digging into his palms in the effort to keep his hands away from himself.

 

It was who he wanted to touch though that shocked him. He didn’t want to crouch behind Ichigo and rub against the beautiful lithe body and lick the long neck. Maybe encourage him to suck the cock that looked even larger than his own. That did sound like a great idea though.

 

No, he wanted to go and run his hands over the long planes of Grimmjow’s back, feeling the muscles there quiver as the incorruptible force of nature held himself back from ripping into their mate and just taking. Renji could feel Grimm’s instincts to dominate Ichigo in the air. His reiatsu was coming off him in waves, pressing down on Ichigo. He had a wild, earthy scent. And Ichigo, Ichigo could seemingly care less about the pressure.

 

Renji wanted to say filthy things into Grimm’s ears and taste the tendons in the strong neck that stood out in relief as Grimm braced himself. That body was temptation itself.

 

And Ichigo…

 

Renji shook his head and smirked. Ichigo was being an asshole. But damn if Renji didn’t know how much that must turn Grimmjow on and exasperate him at the same time.

 

Finally, Ichigo palmed Grimm’s ass with one hand and sucked that cock into his mouth. Renji’s mouth watered. He licked his lips. Grimm groaned long and low.

 

Renji didn’t hear himself echo the sound, but he must have made some noise because those depthless blue eyes looked at him.

 

Grimm looked smug as hell. He ran the hand away from Renji through Ichigo’s hair. “Are you imagining yourself as me or Ichigo, Red?”

 

Grimm gasped and turned back to Ichigo who was glaring up at Grimm. “You wanted me here. You going to pay attention to Renji now?”

 

Grimm chuckled. “He seems to be having some issues over there.”

 

Ichigo stared Renji down. “It was his decision to be here.”

 

“True, but we could invite him to sit,” Grimm suggested.

 

Ichigo looked up at the blue haired man with surprise. “You didn’t want him here.”

 

“I didn’t but he’s over there drawing blood with his nails in an effort to keep his hands to himself, we should at least let him sit and touch his own cock. Think how hot that would be,” Grimm said slyly.

 

“How did you know?” Renji gasped.

 

“I can smell your blood and your arousal, but I have my hands full right now.” His smirk was down right evil. “Don’t say I never did anything for you.”

 

“Fuck you,” Renji replied.

 

“You wish I’d fuck you, Red. You wish I’d come over there and shove you against that wall and shove my big cock deep in that tight ass of yours. Bet you’ve never had anyone as deep as I can get.”

 

Renji hissed quietly, unable to completely hold back the noise. He gestured with his head at Ichigo. “You have plenty to deal with right there.”

 

Ichigo was bracing himself to get to his feet. He was looking seriously pissed off again. Renji held back the urge to laugh.

 

Grimm wrapped his hand around his own cock and began to jerk it in Ichigo’s face, catching both of the red-head’s attention.

 

“Ichi, suck me off for a bit and then I’ll fuck’en worship you on the bed, just do it.”

 

“Sounds like the two of you could get on without me,” Ichigo growled.

 

“Jealous?” Grimm replied.

 

Ichigo scowled and then licked the big cock and Grimm’s fingers where they covered the last half of the firm, smooth skin. He grabbed the thick wrist and sucked on the thumb, licking and nipping before sucking the thumb some more. He looked up at Grimm again.

 

Grimm’s head fell back and he laughed. “Suck my cock, asshole.”

 

Ichigo grinned. “You’ll be saying that again later too.”

 

The look of total delight on Grimm’s face before he broke into laughter was something Renji hoped he’d get to see again one day. “Fuck yeah I will.” Maybe Renji would even be the cause of it.

 

Renji couldn’t help but grin too, even as he desperately unbuttoned his too tight jeans. He wanted to put his hand on himself just as Ichigo took Grimm back into his mouth but he wasn’t going to time it right.

 

However, his own moan joined Grimm’s when he finally got his hand around his aching cock. Fuck he wanted Ichigo’s mouth around his own cock. He stepped out of his pants and cast them aside with a kick and rubbed his abs, then left nipple impatiently.

 

Ichigo looked so hot sucking Grimm. And Grimm was just mesmerized by the younger man. It was easy for Renji to tell the former Espada was in love.  
“Fuck yeah, just like that, baby.” Grimm’s voice sounded like a purr.

 

If Renji didn’t slow himself down, he was going to come before either of the other two, and wouldn’t that be embarrassing?

 

___________

 

Ichigo felt flushed from the tip of his toes to the crown of his head. He ran his fingertips over the thickness of Grimm’s left thigh, feeling the muscle twitch and bunch even as he took more of the cock into his mouth.

 

In truth he hadn’t sucked a lot of cock. It wasn’t his favorite thing but he did it to satisfy his partners, he took a lot of pride in satisfying his partners. But it was his pride that was fighting every second of being at Grimm’s feet with Renji watching. However his gut, God, his gut was cramping so hard in arousal. He could feel both men’s attention and it made him ache and and the heat curled into him like it belonged there.

 

He licked up the tip, tasting the drops of briny precum and then took the mass into his mouth once more, deeper this time. He looked up the hard abs and solid chest to find Grimm licking his lips.

 

Grimm looked like he wanted to eat Ichigo whole. Those eyes, the lids were lowered but the blue glowed.

 

Ichigo couldn’t hold back a moan even as he gripped the massive thigh to ground himself. His own cock felt heavy between his legs.

 

Making certain to keep the cock between himself and Renji, so his lover could watch, he ran his open mouth along the side, licking at it before meeting the redhead’s eyes.

 

He heard Grimm groan above him.

 

Renji looked like he was about to cum.

 

Ichigo let go of his pride, allowed himself to do what felt right and massaged Grimm’s balls. The hair was sparse and not soft but he couldn’t help but stop to lick them, smelling them. Grimm smelled like sex, hot, male and viscerally enticing.

 

Ichigo let his eyes fall closed and encouraged his tongue to follow the groove of Grimm’s Adonis lines to the top of his hip. He couldn’t help but look before running a hand over the solid muscle that now covered where the hollow hole would be. Fuck but this man was beautiful. He pressed an open mouth kiss there.

 

He gasped in shock to find himself flying after being grabbed under the armpits and then thrown toward the bed.

 

He looked up and could sense the feline grace in Grimm’s aura as the man crouched above him and looked down. “Fuck. Fuck you are so damn sexy.” Grimm sounded out of breath.

 

Ichigo couldn’t help but shiver at the pure need he felt coming off Grimm.

 

Once he managed to tear his gaze from the stunning blue eyes, Ichigo found himself fascinated by the strong shoulders and pecs. He was turned on, there was no doubt about that, but… he swallowed. He didn’t know if he could just give in.

 

“Shh, you’re thinking too hard,” Grimm said. He cradled Ichigo’s face with one hand and moved to sit straddling the pale, narrow thighs. “It’s my job to make you lose yourself.”

 

“That was the Yokkyuu.”

 

Grimm shook his head. “You’re going to fucking love what I do to you.”

 

Ichigo huffed and fought the urge to cross his arms. “Then don’t you think you’d better get on with it? I’m gett’n bored here.”

 

Grimm’s smile was so full of shit Ichigo should really have been concerned but all he could do was hiss when his aching erection was grasped and pumped.

 

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about Ichi. You may be a lot of things, but see’n how hard you are here, I’m pretty damn sure bored ain’t one of them.”

 

Ichigo arched beneath the bigger body and grabbed onto the thick shoulders.

 

“Ha! You just want me to lick you all over. You are a cute kitty after all,” he panted out breathlessly.

 

“Cute? I ain’t fuck’n cute. But yeah, the idea of you lick’n me all over sounds pretty damn good.” Grimm leaned down and licked the whorl of Ichigo’s ear, making him shiver. “How about I lick and nibble your ass until there’s nothing left but a pulpy mess this of this strawberry?”

 

“Ichigo bit Grimm’s lower lip. Eww, that sounds gross. And Not Strawberry!”

 

Grimm grunted and licked the lip, surprised at not finding blood. “Then not Kitty.”

 

“But you can lick my ass if you want,” Ichigo said slyly.

 

Grimm’s chuckle was deeply sexy. “I want a lot of things.”

 

Ichigo licked his lips and felt Grimm watch the action. “Maybe I’ll LET you do them.”

 

Grimm dragged Ichigo’s arms above his head without warning and pinned them there with one hand on Ichigo’s smaller wrists. “Fuck that. I take what I want. And when I get to your ass, you’ll be begg’n me to fill it.”

 

Ichigo arched against Grimm. He was too hot, his body felt electric beneath the bigger one. The words taunted him and he was too stunned to really fight against the overflow of information. Just as he realized he should fight back, the blue-haired man bit down on the outside of Ichigo’s right pectoral muscle. The teeth were sharper than human but didn’t break the skin. They just kept pressure, letting Ichigo know that at any moment he could rip into the smaller man’s chest, despite the fact that the muscle was strong and well defined, like the man it was attached to.

 

Ichigo released his breath in a long “OH,” of sound that filled the room. Then Ichigo couldn’t seem to find any air to fill his lungs back up.

 

A huge hand traced down the opposite side of Ichigo, covering more flesh than should be possible with only one palm and five fingers. It felt possessive and came to settle on the lower left side of his abdomen.

 

As he was processing this, the scorching mouth moved to cover the nearest nipple, sucking it and lapping at it before bringing teeth to bear on it. There was pain but just the right amount and the tongue just kept doing its dirty work making it excruciatingly pleasurable. “Ha! Shit! Grimm! What the fuck are you doing to me?” Ichigo asked. His skin felt too tight.

 

Grimm lifted up and looked down at Ichigo. Saliva stretched between Grimm’s wet lips and Ichigo’s now raspberry colored nipple.

 

The Visard released the narrow wrists and that hand tugged along the skin of the pale arm until it reached the muscled shoulder and then grabbed onto orange hair. “I’m going to find a way to own you like you do me.”

 

Ichigo opened his mouth to protest that insanity when those full lips crashed on his own. The mouth ate at his, not giving him time to do anything but feel.

 

Ichigo felt the clench of arousal in his gut, it was wound tight, hardening his cock even further with each beat of his heart.

 

In response, Ichigo wrapped his arms around the broad back. One hand went into the stunning blue hair in an attempt to control the kiss or at least gain some leverage, the other hand couldn't help but dig into the firm muscle of Grimm’s ass.

 

Both men groaned.

 

Grimm lifted away, licked his lips, and then grinned so wide that it covered the entire bottom half of his face. “You are so fuck’n demanding, Ichi. It’s a good thing you’re demanding more of ME or there would be problems.”

 

“Ha! I never said I wanted more of you.”

 

“You’re hand on my ass said it for you. Well, that and the way you are hump’n upwards against my dick as you yank my ass down.”

 

Ichigo felt himself redden, especially when he heard Renji chuckle.

 

Grimm spared their mate a glance but Ichigo couldn’t look over at the moment, he wasn’t sure what he was feeling at the moment, not exactly shy but, uncertain fit more closely.

 

“Ignore him, I like you desperate for me, Kurosaki, Ichigo. Will you turn over for me?”

 

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. “Why?” The mood was kinda gone.

 

“Trust me, I ain’t just gonna stick it in dry.” The blue eyes rolled. “I told you, I’m not taking you until you are begging me. Turn over.”

 

Ichigo debated the wisdom of that. “I can’t roll over if you are laying like a big blanket on me.”

 

Grimm pressed mouth to Ichigo’s throat and his entire body dropped against Ichigo’s. It wasn’t all his weight but the man was heavy. He could feel the hardness of Grimm’s big dick. Then the man shimmied side to side, ensuring the maximum amount of skin to skin contact. “Now, I’m covering you.” Grimm mouthed Ichigo’s neck.

Ichigo couldn’t do anything but offer more of his neck. His left foot wrapped around Grimm’s calf without his permission and his hand slid upward, testing the muscles in Grimm’s back, feeling their promised strength.

 

“You like this don’t you?” Grimm said against Ichigo’s skin. Ichigo shivered. “You like me holding you down, taking control.”

 

Ichigo began to struggle. He didn’t give up control to anyone. Not Shiro, not Grimm not…

 

“Not control then, huh?” Grimm said with a dark chuckle as he adjusted his free hand so that it was cupping Ichigo’s face. He lifted his head up and looked into the frustrated brown eyes. He pressed his big body down again. “Do you like that I’m bigger than you Ichigo? Does it make you feel safe?”

 

That set something off in him. That was way too close to the truth. “I don’t need anyone to protect me.”

 

“Fuck no you don’t. You’re the one that keeps everyone else safe.” Grimm’s hands on his face and in his hair wouldn’t let him look away. He couldn’t help but see that Grimm was serious. “But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t go through hell and back for you. I have. I want you to just feel me, Ichigo. Feel me on top of you, feel my strength. Know I could hurt you, rip you open,” he curved his fingers so his sharp nails pricked at the tender skin of Ichigo’s cheek and forehead, “but choose not to because this body…” Grimm rolled to the side and ran the big hand down Ichigo’s body, fingers spanning his nipples, over his abs and pausing a moment to press down and gauge the tenseness there before grabbing Ichigo’s weeping cock.

 

Ichigo bit his tongue to keep from making a noise.

“Because this body, because you are the most important thing in the world to me. Do you hear me Ichigo? The hollow still exists inside me, the part that want to taste your blood, to eat your heart and tear apart your ass. But I am more than that. Feel how strong I am, Ichigo. I’m at your side, standing with you.”

 

Ichigo felt Grimm’s reiatsu wash over his bare skin and nearly sighed. “Turn over Ichigo,” Grimm ordered. His tone wasn’t harsh, just firm.

 

Ichigo didn’t know why he obeyed. There was something there that made Ichigo feel as if Grimm understood him. He rolled over and showed Grimm his back before tucking his hands under his head.

 

“Damn but you’re gorgeous,” Grimm said quietly enough that Ichigo was pretty sure he wasn’t meant to hear it.

 

Ichigo smirked. “So which did you like first, my fighting skills or my ass?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so please comment. My idea is that as long as the characters and their relationships are evolving it's not just sex. So I hope y'all aren't bored. Let me know?


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grimm and Ichigo work out a few issues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo It's been for freaking ever. I know. I had most of this written and then it.....stalled. I don't know why. It was like all I saw ahead were pages of smut and I would be ok with that if I was writing for myself. But if I'm writing with readers in mind there had to be something more coming. And while this is... smut, for me the characters have to develop during it or it's not worth writing. And they talk... a lot but they work things out between them. So I truly apologize that this didn't happen until now. There was also another slight hitch. I started to write something to get it out of my system. A ONE SHOT. REALLY. Yeah. It's now a really long Grimm/Ichi and almost done. I'll see what Kizu thinks when it's done and maybe I'll pub. And I discovered one I forgot I started that was Ren/Ichi and kind of Grimm moved in... WTF is wrong with my brain. Soooo, now here's another chapter. Finally. I know.... sorry

“Damn but you’re gorgeous,” Grimm said quietly enough that Ichigo was pretty sure he wasn’t meant to hear it.

Ichigo smirked. “So which did you like first, my fighting skills or my ass?”

 Large hands framed his lower back, the heat seeping into his muscles. “You just pissed the hell out of me. Noticing this great ass,” The palms dipped lower and gripped the firm globes. “That took a little longer.”

Ichigo managed to withhold the moan but not the intake of breath. Heat rushed through him. He held himself still when all he wanted was to press upwards.

Breathing became a little easier once more when Grimm moved higher and used the strong fingers to massage stiff shoulder muscles.

Ichigo tried to push up and stop things; it felt too personal, but Grimm held him down. “Grimm, what the fuck are you doing?”

“Ichigo, I’m trying to get you used to my touch. I don’t want you thinking I’m going to attack you or some shit. You have to relax.” Ichigo grunted. He hated that former Sexta had a point. Grimm was trying, he was still a pushy bastard, but he was doing what he could to make this easier on Ichigo. It wasn’t like Ichigo wasn’t attracted to Grimm, his body just didn’t seem to let go.

Counting to ten, Ichigo forced himself to breathe in and then on another long ten count to breath out. The knowledge that Grimm wanted him bad enough to try this hard was gratifying. He owed Grimm for saving Renji’s life. There were all sorts of reasons for him to let go and let this happen.

The warmth in the calloused hands stroked and pressed. As they got back to his lower back, little nipps crossed his shoulders, bursts of pain that were soothed with a tongue and made him shiver. A hum of pleasure escaped him when Grimm got to his thighs after skipping over Ichigo’s ass. The strong digits massaged his inner thigh muscles, spreading them, giving Grimm room to move between them. He wriggled a bit, powerful feelings of arousal and vulnerability vying for supremacy inside him.

“That’s it. Let me touch you.” Ichigo opened his mouth to say something biting and tried to close his legs but Grimm’s body was in the way.

Renji spoke up. “Shh, Ichigo. Relax. This is okay.” Ichigo turned to see his red-headed lover lounging in a chair. His jeans were around one ankle, one hand rubbing the hard, muscled abs and the other hand, well it was stroking that big cock.

“Renji?” He asked, hating the vulnerability in his voice.

He felt Grimmjow pause and hold still, so very still, as if he might break.

“Ichigo, stop fighting him. He is your mate, this is supposed to happen. It won’t break you.”

“What do you know?” Ichigo pressed up on his hands until his back arched.

Renji stopped stroking his dick and just pressed his hand over it so it was against his pelvis. “You didn’t with me.”

“Yokkyuu, asshole.” Renji shook his head. “Do you remember how relaxed you were with me after?”

“There wasn’t much after to contemplate things and I trust you.”

Grimm sucked in a breath.

Renji’s gaze flicked to Grimm and back to Ichigo. “You don’t trust Grimm?”

Grimm’s large hands still rested on the back of Ichigo’s thighs, strong and steady.

Ichigo’s eyes closed.

“Think about it, Ichigo. Really think. Remember how you had to adjust your thinking about me? Maybe you need to do the same about Grimm. He’s not your enemy.”

“I know that!” Ichigo broke in.

“I know you know that! But you need to think about him as a man, now. He’s fucking gorgeous, powerful and he basically gave his life for you. I don’t mean that you owe him your ass for that. But what if Grimm was in trouble?”

Grimm scoffed.

Both men ignored him.

Renji continued. “What would you do for him. What would that make you feel? What would you do if he wasn’t in your life anymore? I know you care about him more than you want to admit, Ichigo. I know YOU.”

“Fuck you!” Ichigo spat but he couldn’t help but consider Renji’s words. What would life be like without Grimm? What would he do if Grimm would in trouble? He couldn’t help but turn and look behind him at the the blazing, blue eyes. Ichigo could see that Grimm was trying not to show emotion but it was there in the eyes. The bigger man didn’t like that Renji had stepped in, hated that Ichigo was still fighting this, but he wasn’t going to give away this chance. What did he feel for Grimm? Fuck this. He huffed. “I need to turn over.”

Grimm frowned but gracefully moved between Ichigo and Renji and let Ichigo roll onto his right side. “Lay beside me, here.” Ichigo patted the bed beside him. When Grimm hesitated, Ichigo realized the man was afraid he was about to be rejected. Ichigo clicked his tongue.

Grimm scowled but lay down so they were facing each other but not touching. Sometimes Ichigo forgot how much bigger Renji and Grimm were than he was. He closed his eyes and let himself feel. Was there a part of him that didn’t want the former arrancar that lay inches away? Was he worried about anything but liking it too much? Hell, even his skin tingled from the idea of having those hands, that body on and around him. The personality of the asshole? Yeah, he knew he’d fucking miss that. He had no doubts he could hold his own, and there were times when Grimm was worth knowing. Shit he was thinking far too much. Why was this so fucking hard? He took a deep breath.

“My name is Ichigo.” He opened his eyes and shoved the palm of his hand into the middle of Grimm’s wide chest. “It means number one protector,” he added fiercely. “I have fought all my life since I lost my mother and was unable to protect her.”

A massive hand caught his wrist and Grimm studied him but didn’t interrupt.

“I don’t fucking give in,” Ichigo continued.

“You aren’t.” Grimm sounded so certain. “I know who you are.”

“What if I don’t?” Ichigo asked, surprised at the realization. “I almost killed the two strongest people I know. My best friend and...you?” His voice broke. Grimm pulled him into muscled arms. Ichigo burrowed his face into the smooth skin of the Visard’s chest. His head was topped by the blue haired man’s chin.

“That’s not you,” the deep voice rumbled. “We have you, the real you. You will never become that again. I promise, Renji promises. That’s what we will give you as mates. We can be by your side as you protect everyone else, even the stupid shinigami. You tell us where to go and we will follow you into fucking hell.”

Ichigo squeezed his eyes shut. Was it that easy? Was that why he was holding back? Suddenly he knew part of it was. Grimm understood. He and Renji would protect everyone from Ichigo. Ichigo would protect everyone else, including his mates. And Grimm didn’t think he was weak. Looking up, Ichigo whispered, “Kiss me.”

Grimm growled and then Ichigo’s breath was stolen by a voracious kiss. He grabbed onto the other man and hung on, sucking on the bigger man’s tongue as it swept through his mouth. And shit those teeth were sharp. Just as he wondered if he would get enough air, Grimm drew back to breathe. His eyes were narrowed and focused on Ichigo’s face.

A calloused thumb spread the wetness of their passion over Ichigo’s lips. Ichigo smirked and gave the digit a quick lick. “Fuck yeah, play with me Ichi,” Grimm said with that shit-eating grin.

Ichigo grabbed blue hair and twisted until he had access to Grimm’s neck and then bit down on the side. He was shoved on his back with a hand on his hip and then that hand was on his cock. He arched and hissed as it learned him.

“Still hard for me, thank the fuck,” Grimm murmured.

Ichigo moaned long and low. He couldn’t take his eyes off Grimmjow above him. The Visard was looking at him like as starving man. Sweat beaded on the muscled chest and Ichigo wanted to lick it off. Planting his feet, Ichigo lifted upwards seeking. “More.”

Grimm cupped his balls, feeling them, tugging slightly. Ichigo hissed as lines of pain drew across the sensitive skin. “Fuck but you brought out the Hollow in me, fighting for so long. My teeth and nails are sharp.” He showed off his teeth with a sexy grin that should have been scary as fuck.

“You aren’t getting anywhere close to my dick with those fangs.”

Grimm laughed. “I have a great tongue though,” he argued suggestively.

Ichigo felt his cock jump. Grimm chuckled and moved down over Ichigo’s lithe body. Cautiously, Grimm picked up Ichigo’s cock. “Look at that, it’s already drooling for me.”

“Bastard,” Ichigo gritted out.

Grimm ignored that and starting with the, sensitive balls, licked up the long cock. He lingered at the head, making certain to get all the precum from the slit making Ichigo shiver. “Mmm,” Grimm murmured.

A hot hand ran down Ichigo’s side and Ichigo grabbed it and held it in his own. After all that they’d been through it was like the first moment of true connection. Grimm looked up at him and their eyes met. Ichigo couldn’t catch his breath, this man was a part of him now. He truly wanted this.

He nodded. Without looking away, Grimm said, “Red, get over here and prep Ichigo. My nails would tear him up.” Ichigo bit his lip to hold back a moan but a grunt escaped him. Grimm smirked. “Like that idea do you, having both our hands on you?”

Ichigo’s breathing quickened. “Don’t worry, my cock will be the only one spreading you wide open,” Grimm said possessively.

Ichigo licked his lips. He didn’t look away from the sharp lines of the Visard’s face as the bed dipped. Slick fingers pressed at his hole and he widened his legs, the right leaning against Grimm. The left was lifted up and out by Renji as two fingers breached him. He moaned softly and fought the urge to arch. Grimm never looked away from Ichigo. “That’s it Red, stretch him out for me. If you want, you can take Ichi after me, or I’ll take you.”

At Renji’s gasp, Ichigo had to look over. Renji was wrecked. His hair was half out of it’s braid, he was sweating and his eyes were glazed as he looked at Grimmjow. The red-head’s lips were parted and wet. Ichigo couldn’t see his cock but Ichigo had no doubt but it was hard.

“Shit Ren.” Renji’s crimson eyes met Ichigo’s and Ichigo moaned as Renji pressed his fingers in harder. Ichigo wanted to ask Renji which option he’d choose, fucking Ichigo or getting fucked by Grimm. It surprised Ichigo that he didn’t mind the second option, actually it turned him on to think of the two of the writhing on the bed. His eyes shut as he envisioned Grimm taking apart Renji with pleasure. “Oh, fuck."

Grimm leaned down and whispered in his ear, “Is the idea of him fucking you with my cum inside your ass, his cock pushing it out and covering both your balls, or me taking his gorgeous ass that has your cock twitching so hard?”

Ichigo reached for his dick. He needed the friction. He hadn’t thought of what would happen if Ren took him like that at least not in that kind of detail. His hand was caught in a bigger one. “Your cock is mine, Ichigo, just like your body.”

He opened his mouth but no words escaped him. His breath left his lungs in a harsh gasp as his earlobe was licked. He released Grimm’s hand, grasping thick strands of blue hair. His cock and ass ached. The fingers inside him slid and pressed. He was so very hot he wondered if he was going to melt. A broken sound escaped him and Grimm lifted up until the deep blue eyes were pouring into his own. “What do you need?” Grimm demanded in a growl. Ichigo’s eyes darted from Grimm’s blue eyes to the sharp teeth behind full lips that Grimm licked and back up to the eyes. For most of Ichigo’s life he’d kept things to himself, not telling anyone what he saw, how he felt. Then there were times when he intentionally pushed people’s buttons by being brutally honest. Ichigo searched Grimm’s face for some sign Grimmjow was lying, that Grimmjow was playing him, that this didn’t mean everything to the Visard. “You.”

His legs were spread and Grimm was over him before he knew what was happening. Seeing Grimm with a hand around that big cock and then having it disappear as it was positioned at his ass made him moan. The pressure against his hole made his mouth gape and his hands claw at Grimm’s biceps.

“Grimmmm,” he groaned as the cock head pressed inside him.

“Fuck,” Grimm hissed. His hips slid forward, filling Ichigo.

Ichigo arched. “Oh, shit! Oh, hell!” he began to chant.

Grimm paused. “Too much?” he asked breathlessly.

Ichigo shook his head. “No. Yes. Fuck I don’t know. Grimm!?” He felt like he was going to shatter.

Grimmjow groaned deeply, as if he was in mortal pain. “Fuck you. Fuck, Ichi, you have no idea how good you feel. All I want to do is fuck the brains out of you right now.” Grimm moved down onto an elbow, leaned down and pressed his lips against Ichigo’s jaw. “You’re alright, Ichi. I’ve got you.” Grimm groaned again and began to slide out but Ichigo clenched his fingers.

“No, don’t go.” Grimm blew out a breath as sweat dripped off his face onto Ichigo. “Alright.” Ichigo realized the larger man was beginning to shake. He experimentally tested his hole, tightening and loosening it, making Grimm moan and press further inside, which made Ichigo groan.

“Fuck, you okay?” Grimm gritted out. He had his eyes screwed shut.

Ichigo nodded and realizing Grimm couldn’t see him said, “Yeah. Keep going.”

Grimm’s eyes opened slightly. “Sure?”

Ichigo nodded again. His head fell back as he was filled. It was only a small part of him that was actually being filled up but it felt like so very much. The cock felt so big inside him. “So big,” he murmured not realizing he was saying the words.

“Fuck yeah I am,” Grimm replied, smugly. “And there’s more.” Grimm started to retreat at that and Ichigo must have made some noise because Grimm chuckled. “No worries Ichigo, there ain’t nothin in any world that could stop me now.”

Ichigo felt nearly empty and as the big head tugged at his rim he clenched his muscles and hissed in pain.

Grimm’s hot hand cradled the side of Ichigo’s face. “You have to relax and trust me here, Ichi. I’m not leaving. I’m trying to read you and not go too fast. We’re almost there. Feel my cock inside your ass, sliding in.” As he spoke his hips shifted and he was indeed filling Ichigo. “As much as my hollow wants to tear you apart, I need to take care of my mate, make you scream in pleasure and not pain.”

Ichigo licked his lips and couldn't look away from eyes just rimmed with blue now that they had blown so wide open. “Relax that ass for me, feel that I’m all the way inside you.” Ichigo felt swallowed by the Visard above him, the hand on his face, his own legs braced against muscled sides, his ass against Grimm’s pelvis. “You feel that, Ichigo?” Grimm asked. Ichigo nodded. “You feel full?” Another nod. “You are so much more beautiful like this than I imagined. Fuck you’re covered in sweat and you practically fucking glow. I have to hear you say it, I need it Ichigo. Tell me you are full of my cock. Tell me I’m inside you, in your ass.”

Ichigo didn’t know how to breathe. It was like he was frozen. Grimm press his lips against Ichigo’s and exhaled gently. Ichigo coughed for a moment. When he was able to think again, Grimm was giving him one of those shit-eating grins that turned him on as well as pissed him off. “Say it, Ichi,” Grimm whispered hotly in his ear. “Say my hot, hard cock is inside, your slick, clenching, greedy asshole.”

“Fuck you!” Ichigo said as he pushed against the big man's chest.

Grimm laughed and pulled out and then hilted again, drawing a moan from Ichigo. “Say it. Say My dick is inside your ass, Ichigo.”

Ichigo tried to press against the solid pectoral muscles but Grimm didn’t move except to make another smooth, even glide inside him. “Ha,” Ichigo, breathed.

“And you like it, fuck yes, you like having my dick inside you.” Grimm licked his lips. He screwed his hips in a circle and rocked back and forward at a different angle, nailing Ichigo’s prostate.

Ichigo practically swallowed his own tongue as heat burst through him. He arched,clenched around the man above him and cried out. “Mm, there it is. Look at me.” Ichigo’s eyes were shut tight. “Look at me!” Ichigo’s eyes opened at the same time Grimm ground up into the sensitive area. “Say it!”

“Fuck, your cock is inside me, Grimmjow!”

Grimm slid out. “Inside your ass?” He rocked back in locking them together.

“Yes!”

“Say it!” Ichigo ran his hand up Grimm’s chest, around his neck and into his hair.

“Do it again,” he demanded with narrowed eyes.

“This?” Grimm asked, eyes dancing. He repeated the move with his dick the long slide out and in, giving it just a bit of a twist.

“Yeah that.” Ichigo said after he’d drug in a breath.

“You like that, Ichigo?” Grimm asked.

“Not bad,” Ichigo said. He loved the way the lids lowered anger first and then wide with challenge and humor.

“Fuck ‘not bad.’ You know I’m good.”

Ichigo pulled on the hair at the base of his mate’s neck. “You going to show me?”

“Not until you tell me.” Grimm lowered his head and as his ass retreated so did his cock, but as it filled Ichigo again this time, it didn’t rub over that special place. Ichigo blinked at him and he felt himself turning red as he considered the words. “You are amazingly cute when you blush.”

“I am not cute!”

Grimm kissed his nose. “You are adorable.”

Before Ichigo could kill him for that, Grimm began to fuck him using an in and out rhythm that was neither fast nor slow. It felt inexorable and only brushed his prostate. It wasn’t enough to push him over.

“That’s it, take my cock,” Grimm said after a couple of minutes of nothing but brushes of pleasure. Ichigo wrapped his legs around Grimm’s narrow waist and worked himself against his mate, tightening when they came together. Grimm tilted Ichigo’s head up, elongating his neck before licking at it. Sharp teeth ran over the vulnerable flesh. “Tell me.” Grimm changed his angle, deeper, harder and solid against the spot Ichigo so desperately needed.

The words spilled from Ichigo. “Oh, oh. Fuck, Grimm. Your cock feels so damn big in my ass.”

Grimm roared his triumph, his hips speeding up. “You are my mate forever. For fucking ever! Say it.”

Ichigo lifted his heavy head and looked at the gorgeous man. “You’re my mate,” he groaned out. What remained was a race to the finish. They rocked together, Grimm pushing them faster and harder every time Ichigo demanded it of him. “Fuck yeah, you take my cock so good, I want to come in you so bad. You want that, my cum in you?”

“Yes, damnit.” “Cum for me, Ichigo. Cum around my dick, so I can lick it off your abs. Milk my cock with your ass.” The thought of Grimm licking his cum off his abs with that grin pushed Ichigo over the edge and he cried out, “Grimm!” 

\--------------

Ichigo lifted his hand and clenched it in the blue hair of the man who was languidly licking his pleasantly aching abs. He groaned softly and opened his eyes. “You’re really licking my cum off me?” He asked in a husky voice. He lifted his head up enough to see that Grimm’s smirk was insanely sexy.

“Of course. I want to taste all of you, including the pleasure I give you.” That slick tongue started at the top of his right thigh, touched his oversensitive cock and ran up the center of his stomach, making him shiver. Ichigo felt himself blush and dropped his head back to the bed. “Fuck.”

“Yes, impressively, if I do say so myself,” Grimm retorted.

Ichigo huffed a laugh. “Damn but you are arrogant.” He could feel the cum leaking from his ass.

“Are you saying I shouldn’t be?” Ichigo looked to his left.

“Renji, tell him to shut the fuck up. I’m too tired right now.”

The older shinigami looked back at him with glazed eyes. “I won’t be competing in any races right now myself Ichi. But yeah, it would be great if you didn’t gloat Kitten.”

“You’ll have your turn Red, don’t be jealous like that,” Grimmjow said as he crouched over Ichigo, making Ichigo catch his breath. Grimm joined their mouths for a slow kiss that seemed to say their encounter hadn’t just been some random fuck, that it had meant something to the former Espada. Ichigo couldn’t help the way he felt comforted and yet twinges like butterflies fluttered in his stomach. What was this? Ichigo slapped Grimm’s solid, round ass.

“It’s a good thing we marginally like you, “ he said trying to cover up the uncomfortable questions his mind was asking.

“Who said that?” Renji asked. Grimm just chuckled.

“Shower, clean sheets,” Ichigo ordered.

“Oh, you think you have enough energy for that?” Renji asked.

Ichigo glared at him even as Grimm backed away and offered a hand to the youngest of them. Ichigo scowled at him and rolled to the side before pressing up to a sitting position. Fuck but his core was achy as hell. And his ass, well, that felt a little looser and a whole lot more painful than he’d like. Shiro laughed at him inside his head. “You’re weak King. He worked you over good, made you moan like the bitch you are.

He’s a hell of a Dominant. Tell him he’ll have to take me soon, they both will. How will you feel about that?

That was it. He was not fucking weak!

Ignoring the pain he moved to the side of the bed and shot to his feet. He gained his balance quickly and glared at Grimm when he stepped up to help.

“Keep the fuck off.” He walked into the bathroom and did NOT have any sort of limp.

“Give me a few minutes,” he snarled and slammed the door in their faces.

____________________

Grimm looked at Red with lifted brows.

The other man shrugged. “My guess would be Shiro.”

“Huh. Well if he’s going to interrupt the happy glow, we’re going to have to find a way to shut him up.”

“We huh?” Renji asked with a slight grin.

Grimm looked the tattooed man over. He had to admit, the shinigami was hot, especially looking all fucked out. They were mates. Grimm ran a hand through his messy, sweaty hair. “We.”

He looked at the Shinigami for a long moment, picturing Ichigo’s body in place of Reji’s. “How the fuck did he get a hollow anyway?”

“You might want to ask him that yourself.”

“He didn’t get a hollow the normal way?” Grimm asked as he grabbed a long arm and dragged the other’s ass out of bed. Red hit the floor with a disgruntled sound.

“Is there a normal way? Fuck you bastard. That hurt.” Red grumbled as he got to his feet rubbing his hip.

“Huh. Other than die, I don’t suppose I’d know.” Grimm said. He’d gotten some basics on turning into a Visard from Urahara, but he’d already had his hollow. He’d just been told his own journey would be different.

“Help me change the sheets, Red.” Red grinned at him.

“Isn't it cute how much you want Ichigo to like you?”

“Fuck you.”

\-----------------------------

Ichigo leaned against the back wall of the shower and let his head fall against the wall as the water cascaded over his skin, taking sweat and cum with it. He couldn’t fight the languidness that had spread through his limbs. He felt vulnerable and he didn’t like it. Gravity claimed him and he slid down until he was sitting at the base of the wall. He groaned quietly in pain at the pressure on his ass and stretch across his back but ignored them otherwise. The tile was cool under the inflamed flesh. He crossed his arms over his knees and rested his head on them.

Mates. Plural. Multiple. More than one. Renji was nearly two by himself. Grimmjow… he was like… Heat washed over Ichigo as he thought of feeling Grimm over and inside him. He knew he was blushing but couldn’t help it. Grimm hadn’t forced him to do anything, had been caring even. What was he going to do with that? Ichigo sighed.

The curtain slid open with the singing sound of metal. “Ya wanna tell me why you sound like a girl, Ichi?” Ichigo lifted his head and scowled at Grimmjow who was crouching next to the shower… naked.

Ichigo reddened… again. Grimm’s smirk was deadly. “I’m glad you find me hot, Strawberry. All that starin is makin me hard again. But I’d really like to know why you’re sitten at the bottom of the shower.”

Ichigo blinked and scowled.. “Don’t call me, Strawberry.”

“All right. So either answer my question or prepare to have company.”

“I’m thinking.”

“You’re thinking so hard your legs don’t work?” Grimm’s brows were lifted. “Or did I just fuck you too hard?”

Ichigo clenched his teeth. “Get the fuck out of here.”

Grimm scooped Ichigo up and set him on his lap in the shower. At first the water sprayed directly in Ichigo’s face. His hands came up and he cursed, but Grimm turned him sideways and tucked Ichigo against the Visard’s bigger body. “Talk to me about Shiro,” said Grimm.

Ichigo froze as Shiro’s laughter careened inside his head. “He wants me King. Maybe he wants me more than you. You’re too soft for ‘em.” Grimm’s large hand was rubbing Ichigo’s back and it slowly relaxed him.

“Whatever he’s sayin’ he’s probably lying,” Grimm said.

“Possibly,” Ichigo agreed. He was going to have to kick Shiro’s ass again but right then he didn't want to be bothered. He knew what would happen Renji and Grimm didn’t mate with Shiro. That worried him. They sat there silently for a while. There were noises of Renji moving around but nothing else besides the shower. “What happens when you mate with Shiro?” Ichigo asked after long moments had passed. Wild laughter inside his head made him fist his hands.

“It’s ready,” Renji called.

Grimm stood with Ichigo in his arms as if he weighed nothing and took him to the bath. There was enough room for two so Grimm slid in with Ichigo. The water was hot on his aching body, especially his stinging ass, and he sighed, leaning against Grimm’s large chest.

Renji turned off the shower. “Stay,” Grimm told the shinigami. Renji sat on the wide edge of the tub reclining against the far wall, one foot in the hot water, facing them. His hair cascaded around his shoulders, his muscles were on full display.

“What did you mean when you asked what happens when we mate with Shiro?” Grimm asked.

Ichigo tried to pull away but Grimm held him in a tight grip around the waist. “I just want to know,” Ichigo snapped. He refused to look at Renji.

“Ichigo,” Renji said, “I love you, all of you. He’s part of you. But you’re the one I want in my arms, not him. Grimm will probably want to kick his ass, but you’re who he loves.”

Grimm turned Ichigo so he was sitting sideways in the bath and could look at them. “Is that what you’re worried about? That I’ll like you’re hollow better?”

Why the hell had he started this? “Let me go.” Shiro started talking but Ichigo ignored him and tried to pull away from Grimm.

“No. Now answer the question,” Grimm ordered holding Ichigo tight.

“No. I just wanted to know what would happen, that’s all.” Ichigo remained where he was but he was tense.

“Bullshit,” Renji said. His crimson eyes were narrow. “You are worried he’ll like Shiro better. Why?”

Fuck this. Could he really tell them? He opened his mouth and no words came out. Visions of Grimm throwing Shiro against the wall, biting him and fucking him dry flew through his mind courtesy Shiro and the words spilled across Ichigo’s tongue. “Cause Shiro wants it hard, he likes it that way, wants to be hurt like Grimm wants. He doesn’t have any fucking doubts… He…He’s a hollow.”

“Shh,” Grimm said and then kissed Ichigo. It wasn’t soft, there was a hand in his hair, tilting his head to just the angle the bigger man wanted and the tongue plunged deep licking, tasting. Ichigo moaned in surprise at the wet heat. Grimm pulled back and nibbled at lower lip and then licked it. “I want you,” he said against Ichigo’s lips despite breathing hard. “All of you. If Shiro needs it hard, I’ll take him that way, but what matters to me is what you need.” Grimm’s hand drifted down Ichigo’s nape around his neck to his chest. He rubbed a pert nipple with his palm, garnering a sigh. The hand continued downward until it reached Ichigo’s cock. He ran his fingers over the submerged length. Ichigo shivered. “I only have to take him once. I get you forever.”

Ichigo gasped and blinked at the wetness in his eyes. Shiro was yelling about how unfair that was but Ichigo ignored his hollow. He didn’t look up from the water where Grimm’s hand was teasing his hardening dick. He didn’t want either one of his mates to see how much that affected him. Water splashed his face. He rubbed at it with a hand and stared at Renji who had just kicked water up at him. “What the fuck?” he spluttered.

“You’re an idiot,” Renji said simply and went back to swinging his foot in the water. “We love you, Ichigo. Enough to die for you.” He glanced above Ichigo’s head at Grimmjow. “Enough to put up with each other. I think right there should be proof enough.”

Ichigo snorted but couldn’t help consider the words. It was true, they were trying to get along because of him. It made him feel squirmy inside but something else, something primal was satisfied. Ichigo grasped Grimm’s wrist in the water so he could feel it flex while the hand gave him pleasure. That hand rewarded him with a long, tight stroke and a swirl of thumb to the head. Ichigo’s cheek fell against Grimm’s collarbone and his thighs fell open. Renji put his second foot in the water, knelt with one knee between Ichigo’s knees and the other inside Grimm’s right one, and then leaned forward, gripping the sides of the tub so with Ichigo turned he was looking directly at the Shinigami. His tongue teased Ichigo, tasting Ichigo’s upper lip and then lower, not letting Ichigo have a taste of him, pulling back with a smirk when Ichigo tried to catch him with open mouth. Ichigo licked his lips trying to get a taste of his lover. Renji leaned forward, looking like he was going to kiss Ichigo this time, his closed lips brushing Ichigo’s like butterfly wings before drifting over his cheek and licking the curve of his jaw and moving passed him to Grimm.

Ichigo’s face was pressed against Renji’s shoulder and pectoral muscle. He smelled so damn good. “Stroke his silky cock, Grimmjow, make him writhe for us,” Renji’s voice was low and sexy as hell.

“You think you’re in charge?” Grimm’s voice was heavy. His body stiff.

“I know Ichigo likes it when I talk to him. I think you like me talking to you too.” Renji cajoled.

“You think so?” Grimm clicked his tongue. He was still jerking Ichigo off though.

Renji shrugged, bringing the defined, tattooed muscles closer to Ichigo’s face. The youngest of them couldn’t help but lick at the tanned shoulder. Renji’s voice hitched as he said, “You don’t have to do what I say, Grimm.” Ichigo didn’t know what Renji did, but Grimm flinched and his cock twitched against Ichigo’s ass.

“I don’t,” Grimm agreed.

Ichigo bit Renji’s chest. Renji pulled back and looked incredulously at Ichigo. “Shit Ichi! What you don’t like being ignored?”

“I have a very talented hand on my cock, I’m hardly being ignored, Ren, but the view could be improved," Ichigo lied.

“Talented huh?” Grimm huffed in his ear.

Ichigo held back a blush. “Shut up you.” But he stuttered when Grimm twisted at the base, tightening his fist and pulling up achingly slowly before delving back down and fondling Ichigo’s balls. “Fuck,” Ichigo murmured. He couldn’t help but thrust into the hand. He tried to control his breathing but it hitched and sped up.

“I love that look Ichi,” Renji said. His crimson eyes were half lidded and he licked his lips.

“What look?” Ichigo gasped as Grimm’s second hand plucked at a nipple.

“The one where you’re lost in pleasure, where you couldn’t care less where you are or who's watching,” his voice grew deeper, “Like you look like you’re about to beg to be fucked.”

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. “I don’t beg.”

“You do,” Grimm said softly. “You did for me, for my big cock to fill your ass.”

Ichigo moaned. These two men were too much for him. “You loved it, loved taking it. Red, did Ichigo love taking yours?”

Ichigo’s gut clenched. Why couldn’t they shut up!

Renji looked passed Ichigo to the Arrancar. “He clawed at my back and moaned so loud. Some of that was the Yokkyuu though. I want to make you writhe on my cock again, fill him with my cum again.” He looked Ichigo in the eyes. “Fuck, you were so tight and you loved it so much. You looked so good all fucked out.” Ichigo grabbed Renji by his hair and pulled him into a kiss. It was hot, wet and messy. Their tongues brushed and danced, Ichigo nibbled Renji’s lips until Renji grabbed Ichigo’s spiky hair and tilted his head back. “I want to fuck you so bad right now Ichigo. Split you open on my cock and add my cum to Grimmjow’s. I want to see it spill down your long thighs.” Ichigo moaned and Grimm rumbled at his back. Thick fingers pinched Ichigo’s left nipple and he hissed.

Ichigo’s breath quickened. “How the hell do you two do this to me?” he muttered. “I just came.”

“We are sexy,” Grimm murmured before licking Ichigo’s ear. “You going to cum for us? Wiggle that cute ass up against my aching cock and spill all over my hand as Red watches?”

“You think I’m sexy?” Renji asked.

“Fuck you! Not I'm not cute!” Ichigo gritted out. Damn but he was hard.

“Do you feel empty, Ichi, now that you’ve had our cocks inside you?” Renji asked slyly.

Ichigo gasped. How the fuck had Renji known? He’d tried to hide from himself, that the aching bit of flesh behind his balls wanted, needed. Grimm’s huge hand surrounded his balls, lifting them out of the way and then Renji’s fingers were there, pressing against his entrance. “It’s still soft here, Grimm fucked you good.”

“Of course I did,” Grimm replied to Renji’s assertion. “My cock stroked the inside of his ass so sweet.”

Ichigo arched into their fingers. His mind shouted fragments of sentences and curse words while he grabbed Renji’s long hair. He still had his hand on Grimm’s wrist. They grounded him even though they were sending him flying with their touch.

“Unh,” he cried out as Renji’s finger breached him.

“So hot inside, Ichigo.”

“Fuck, Shit, Damnit! How do you do this to me?” He grabbed on something to distract them.

“Why don’t you let Grimm fuck you, Ren? I know you want it.”

From behind him, Grimm’s teeth rested around Ichigo’s throat and a growl emerged from the bigger man’s mouth. Ichigo’s mouth fell open and he moaned. The heat in his groin flared and he arched into Grimm’s hand as it moved faster. “Kiss him, Red, help me get Ichigo off and then he can watch me take you apart.”

“Who said I want that?” Renji asked.

“You didn’t have to say anything. Your reiatsu said it for you. And considering your age and control, that says something about how out of control this makes you," Grimm pointed out.

“Uncomfortable.”

“What?” Grimm muttered as he nibbled Ichigo’s ear.

“It makes me uncomfortable.”

Ichigo lifted his head despite it feeling really heavy and looked at Renji. “You don’t feel comfortable letting Grimm take you?” Renji gave a half shrug, the sweaty muscles glistening in the bathroom light. “I know I have to.”

“Damn right,” Grimm muttered.

Ichigo elbowed him in the gut, making him grunt. “But?”

“But I don’t want to… “ Ichigo narrowed his eyes. “You better not be uncomfortable for the same reason you were telling me it was ok to do it.”

Renji looked away. “I don’t want to want him.”

“Why?” Ichigo asked.

“All the usual reasons,” Renji said with a twist to his lips. “He’s not you, he’s an Arrancar… I’m sure I could find more reasons.”

Grimm reached around Ichigo and grasped strands of crimson hair. Ichigo let his own hand drift into the water. “You two are thinking too hard. It has to happen and it will be good unless you overthink it. You are my mates. That means a lot of things in my world. Let the past go so we can move forward.” The large hand stroked the long hair. After a moment of quiet, Grimm asked, “Renij, you know I’m not going to hurt you don’t you?” Renji’s eyes widened, at the question or the use of his name, Ichigo didn’t know.

Renji grunted. “Like I’d let you.”

“That’s what I thought,” Grimm said with a click of his tongue. “How about we go back to getting our Strawberry off so we can get it on, Red?”

“You are so fucking romantic, you know that, Grimm?” Ren asked with a laugh.

“With a body and skills like this, who need romance?” Ichigo burst out laughing. And wasn’t that the fucking truth. But his laughter led Renji to press further inside him and he gasped.

“You didn’t forget did you?” Renji asked. 

Ichigo’s legs pressed against the wall of the tub on one side and Renji’s on the other and he worked his thighs, licking his teeth. His arms reached back and grabbed Grimm’s hair. He groaned and the word he wanted to keep inside escaped, "More."

“More what?” Grimm asked. “More fingers in your ass? More of my hand on your cock? You have two men here to pleasure you, are you sure you aren’t just being greedy Ichigo?” He just lightly brushed his fingers over the tip of Ichigo’s erection even as another of Renji’s fingers slipped inside. “Oh, fuck, touch me, Grimm!”

“You need it?” Grimm asked.

“Yes I fucking need it! Touch me or I’ll do it myself.”

Grimm chuckled. “But you look so damn hot all arched like this in front of me. I just want to fuck you again, make you writhe on my cock and scream.”

“You’re an asshole, Grimm,” Renji said smile.

Ichigo reached down to touch himself, but Grimm blocked his hand, grabbing Ichigo’s cock and stroking in firmly. “Just think Ichigo, one time Red and I will have you between us and we’ll take turns. He’ll dick you like five times and then I will and we’ll slow down when you get close and we’ll keep switching, maybe we’ll put you on your hands and knees for a while, have you over the end of the bed. Eventually all you’ll know is the feeling of us around you and inside you, you’ll know the sound of your name in our voices, the dirty things we say to you as we love on you. And maybe we’ll come inside you but we won’t stop, we’ll fill you with fingers until we’re hard again, make you overflow and at the end you’ll know that whatever happens you belong to us and that we are never leaving you as you cum over and over again.” Renji’s eyes were were half-liddedand his lips red and puffy from licking and biting them. He leaned forward to Ichigo. “I want that so much, Ichi. I can feel your asshole fluttering around my fingers. I know you’re close. Cum for us.”

“Holy fuck,” Ichigo groaned as heat washed over him. His entire body contracted and shook. The feeling of having his mates surrounding him made him hotter, complete. He bit his tongue and groaned. He could hear them talking to him but couldn’t understand their words, just knew they were there for him and wouldn’t leave. He reached out and grabbed Renji’s hair. He probably would have drowned if the two hadn’t been holding him up. He tried to remember how to breathe. His hand fell back into the water.

“I,” his voice broke and he cleared his throat twice.

There was a knock at the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the ch with Shiro is coming up. But while this would not be rape, I'm just going to ask you all once. How many of you have tried anal sex WITH lube and prep? Go on, try it. I'm not talking one finger. I dare you. Do your homework Oh, and trust me... you'll find out the whole, scissoring thing don't work worth crap, no pun intended the muscles are way too strong.


	9. Well, finally...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Renji finally man's up but what's up with the knife?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for those that are still here.... I love you all especially those that commented, you give me life. so this has been a loooong ass time coming, I know. I got all sorts of stuck. Not to mention my life has been all sorts of fodder for a Bravo tv show. NO SHIT. I've been told I'd have to write it... No one would believe it.  
> Thanks to KizuKatana and special thanks to Owari26 who finally gave me the idea that allowed me to figure out what was up with Renji.... I could not do it on my own.  
> Thanks to all of you to serve and their families.

Ichigo licked his teeth, bit his tongue and groaned. He could hear them talking to him but couldn’t understand their words, just knew they were there for him and wouldn’t leave. He reached out and grabbed Renji’s hair.

He probably would have drowned if the two hadn’t been holding him up. He tried to remember how to breathe. His hand fell back into the water.

“I,” his voice broke and he cleared his throat twice.

There was a knock at the door.

\------

“Whoever the fuck it is, I’m going to kill them,” Grimmjow growled, pushing Ichigo into Red’s arms. He stood from the water and stalked to the door leaving watery footprints behind him.  

He grabbed Pantera and had unsheathed the sword by the time he answered the door.

If he had to leave his fucking mates behind, none of them satisfied, someone was going to pay. They damn well should have felt Ichigo’s reiatsu as well as Red’s and his own.

He snarled at..... Ichigo’s Taicho….and Nell.

Neither moved to defend themselves as Grimmjow sliced the pale skin of the Shinigami’s neck with Pantera.

“I apologize for our unfortunate timing, Jaegerjaquez, Grimmjow,” the Taicho said. A thin line of blood trickled down into his white scarf. That was going to be a bitch to get out.

Grimmjow narrowed his eyes. Pantera was pacing in his mind wanting to make this man pay for the interruption of such a private moment. Ichigo had felt so good and right in his arms.

“Grimmy, this is important or you know I would have made him wait,” Nell implored him.

Grimmjow broke his stare with the powerful Shinigami and looked at his best friend. There was worry in her gaze. He frowned. She knew what this meant to him. She wouldn't be here without reason. It was his curiosity at who she felt that concern was for that had him lowering his sword. “We’ll meet you in the conference room.” He slammed the door.

He was surprised to find his mates still in the bathroom, he’d have thought their curiosity might have brought them out, but he saw how exhausted Ichigo looked curled up in Red’s arms and he understood. Damn the Shinigami for drawing them out. He had a moment’s thought about trying to get Ichigo to stay here while he went to find out what was going on, but since it was the man’s captain, he knew Ichigo would want to go.

Red was shaking his head at Grimmjow who lifted a brow.

“I can’t believe you answered the door naked and hard.”

Grimmjow looked down. “Not hard anymore,” he said wryly.

“Who was it?” Red was running his fingers through damp, orange hair and had the other arm around the slim waist.

“Shinigami. We need to get dressed.” He wanted to see the surprise on his mates’ faces when they saw who it was.

Red narrowed his eyes but nodded. “Ichigo, come on, you have to get up.”

Ichigo rubbed his nose with the back of his hand and blinked. Grimmjow thought it was possibly the cutest thing he’d ever seen. “Really?”  


“Yeah, really. Get on out of there before I come for your ass again,” Grimmjow said more than half seriously.

Ichigo focused on Grimmjow and the Visard felt himself being evaluated. He just stood there and waited. “So did I pass?” Grimmjow asked after a minute.

Ichigo blushed. “Shut the fuck up. Go get dressed. Did he answer the door like that?” He waved his hand at Grimmjow but looked at Red.

“Yep,” Red said with a grin.

Ichigo pushed himself up to get out of the tub. “Don’t you have any damn modesty?” He yelled. He must have been exhausted because his arms gave out and he fell on Red and they both submerged.

Grimmjow held his sides as he laughed, watching as arms and legs twitched and jerked over the edge of the tub. Finally, Red and Ichigo both had their heads out of the water and they were glaring at Grimmjow.

“Do you need help?” he asked. They both looked a little like drowned kittens.

“NO!” they shouted.

He shrugged and went to get dressed.

He had a feeling he might enjoy this more than he thought.

\-----------------------

Grimmjow made sure he was the first one into the conference room. It had been livened up with paintings on the walls and a colorful table runner. He didn't really care all that much... Nell had rambled on for fucking ever. He was just glad to see some it wasn't so sterile.

He turned, hand over his mouth to hide his smirk and watched as Ichigo dragged himself into the room, slouching, hands in the pockets of his jeans only to stop and stand absolutely straight. “Taichio,” Ichigo said quietly.

Red ran into the back of his mate. “What the fuck, Ichigo?” Red complained as Ichigo took a step forward. Renji looked over the younger Shinigami’s shoulder to see what was going on.

“Abarai Taicho, has it been so long that you’ve forgotten me already?”

Red shot to attention as well, eyes huge. “Of course not Kuchiki Taicho. It is good to see you..”

Grimmjow dropped his hand to show the smirk at the evil glare Red shot him. Sure he could have warned them, but where was the fun in that? Grimm sat in one of the now gray padded chairs and kicked his feet up on the table.

“Why are you here, Byakuya?” Ichigo asked, returning to the informal, moving to the large white table with gray and blue table runner and taking a seat.

The long-haired taicho continued, “I came to see how my fuko-taicho is doing, for one. I heard your recovery was long.”

Ichigo nodded. “I’m fine now.”

“He still tires easily and hasn’t been cleared to fight yet,” Red added, getting a glare from Ichigo for his effort.

Grimmjow was glad Red added that or he would have had to.

The other taicho lifted his brows. “Kurosaki, you know the importance of giving me full information on your status.”

“Yes, but…”

“There is no time when an exception is to be made, is that understood?”

Grimmjow didn’t like that at all. “What right do you have to walk in here and demand that kind of information?”

“The right that I am his taicho. Both of your mates have other responsibilities besides being your mate. We are hoping to return them to those or have you forgotten?”

He hadn’t forgotten, but he didn’t like them being beholden to anyone but him.

“Grimm, shut up,” Ichigo hissed with a hint of embarrassment.

Grimmjow turned and blue eyes clashed with brown. He’d actually forgotten that Ichigo was stronger than him. Ichigo silently promised to kick his ass and Grimm remembered he could. He frowned.

“All due respect Byakuya,” Red began, “but is that the only reason you came?”

“Unfortunately no.” Both Grimmjow and Ichigo turned to look at the raven haired taicho. “There have been… incidents in Soul Society since you left.”

Grimmjow narrowed his eyes. “What do these incidents have to do us?” He knew he wasn’t going to like the answer.

“There have been a series of strange deaths since the night you… left. Shinigami sucked dry of their reiatsu and blood, left like husks in corners, the deed so silent it can happen to someone only feet away with only shifting shadows as any kind of description.”

“And none of you have been able to do a damn thing about them?” Grimmjow asked incredulously. “Why do you think you need my mates?”

Kuchiki stared at Grimmjow for a moment and the former Arrancar suddenly knew all sort of shit was happening. “No one has been able to track their movements. There have been 15 deaths all totaled.” The taicho looked at Ichigo. “And there is a hint of Kurosaki’s reiatsu on the last few corpses. That is something that only a few people know. No one believes that it is you.”

Grimmjow could practically feel Ichigo blaming himself.  “But word will eventually get out,” the Visard said.

The noble nodded.

Red stood and put his hands on Ichigo’s shoulders as if he was holding the younger man together. “We can’t come until Kurosaki Fukutaicho is fully mated. It isn’t safe until then.” It was when he spoke that Grimmjow noticed that this was the strong version of Red, the Taicho, who was discussing this with another of equal rank.

Grimmjow hated to admit he was mildly impressed.

“Why has this not been completed?”

Grimmjow sat up and opened his mouth but Ichigo put a hand on his arm. Grimmjow glowered at the intruder.

“Kurosaki Fukutaicho was very injured,” Red answered formally.

“I was not informed that he was injured to that extent. How long do you believe it will be before you can complete the bond and he will be cleared to fight?”

Grimmjow dearly wanted to ask why they should even go help but he knew his mates would never allow him to turn this down. He looked at his mates, both of them were looking at him. “Three days.”

Two sets of Shinigami eyes looked at him with surprise. “But,” Ichigo began.

Grimmjow didn’t waver. “Three full days. We can be there on the fourth day. That healer, Hana will need to remain here until that time.”

The Taicho narrowed his eyes at Grimmjow at that pronouncement but Grimmjow didn’t care. If he and Red were going to have to deal with Shiro, the Arrancar wanted a healer around.

“All right.”

Grimmjow noisily dropped his feet to the floor stood up. He had some preparations to make. He glanced over to Ichigo. “Don’t even think about leaving early, Strawberry.” He nodded at Red, who he knew would keep Ichigo safe and walked out of the room so the three Shinigami could talk.

\--------------

Ichigo turned to his Taicho and started to stand too, only to remember the pressure on his shoulders. He looked away. Why did what he was make him so weak?

Kuchiki Taichou said, “Kurosaki, I say this because I know it will not give you a big head like it would nearly anyone else. You have saved us all, more than once. It is because of who you are, your strength of character and what makes you up as an individual. This too is part of who you are; accept it. Your mates are strong and genuinely care for you. You will not always agree with them and that is as it should be. This is simply a chance to take a weakness and make it a strength. How much time have we spent doing the same in the past? Take the time you need now so that when you return you will be able to do what it is only you can do. Do you understand?”

Ichigo didn’t want to agree. But he hadn’t survived as long as he had without learning some patience. He nodded. “I appreciate you coming in person Kuchiki Taichou. It could not have been easy for Central to ask for help from me.”

“I did not say they asked for help.”

“Oh.”

“Well,” Renji chuckled, “That will make things interesting.”

“Indeed it will.”

“Does the SoTaichou know?” Ichigo asked.

“Who do you think is instigating this madness?”

\-----------

Grimmjow stood in the desert of Hueco Mundo and looked back at the white foundation of Las Noches. He needed a bit of distance to decide how he was going to organize the last of their mating. There was much that needed to be done in order to satisfy his mates. It would be a relatively simple task to accomplish but this was the start of everything together, he wanted to fulfill their desires. Red’s, Ichigo’s and Shiro’s.

The main problem was Shiro. Apparently he needed it like a hollow and that would set Ichigo back. Plus the idea of actually doing any physical harm to Ichigo’s body made Grimmjow sick. So he had to come up with a way to satisfy Shiro’s needs and get his acceptance.

Grimmjow ran a hand through his hair and took in the baren dimension around him. This was his home, where he’d become strong and learned to kill and then learned to feel. He bent down and picked up a handful of sand and let it run through his fingers. This was where a hollow was meant to be a hollow, he thought. Now he was a Vizard. He had responsibilities.

It looked like he might spend the rest of his life in Seireitei.  What would that be like? Would that be home? A picture of Ichigo flashed in his mind followed by Red. They would be his home.

He headed back towards Los Noches.

\----

When Grimmjow walked into his room, he found it empty. He sighed, but wasn’t surprised. He took a shower to get the scent of the desert off him and went in hunt of his mates.

He found them in Ichigo’s room, sleeping. Red blinked sleepily at him from the other side of Ichigo, who was cuddling up to the bigger body. Ichigo’s back was to Grimmjow and he didn’t like the jealousy he was feeling. He shoved it away.

He gestured with his head to Red that they needed to talk and put a finger to his lips regarding their youngest whilst he walked out of the room.

________________________________________________________

Renji woke to see Grimm standing over he and Ichigo with an almost sad look in his eyes. Renji wondered if Grimm was jealous. There was just a bit of Renji that felt possessive satisfaction that he had Ichigo to himself at that moment, but really, he would have moved over and asked Grimm to join them if the other hadn’t gestured for him to come talk.

Renji put on a shirt and pants over his boxers and walked into the other room. He rolled his shoulders, trying to get them to loosen up after keeping them in one place so long around Ichigo. “So what’s up? You could have joined us you know?”

Surprise flitted over Grimm’s face, as if he never considered he’d be asked, and then he shook it away. “Thanks but we need to discuss some things.” He was sitting on the couch in the far corner.

“What things?” Renji said. He stood behind the rounded white chair and ran his hands through his loose hair and tugged on a snag.

“Shiro.”

Renji lifted a brow and crossed his arms. “Tell me what you have.”

Grimm gave his smug grin that was so damn irritating. “No need to worry Red. I’m not going to hurt your boy.”

Renji narrowed his eyes. “Our boy.”

Grimm gave a nod. “Ours. But we have to wait until after tomorrow to put anything into motion.”

“All right. Lay it on me.”

Renji had to admit, he was impressed as Grimm laid out the plan and not a little turned on. He decided that it should be enough to impress Shiro and yet Ichigo wouldn’t be damaged. “Then what are we going to do tomorrow?”

Grimm got to his feet and approached Renji. The silence built until Grimm was right in front of the Shinigami. “We are going to take care of you, Red, of your bond with me and the one you have with Ichigo.”

Renji fought the urge to step back because the man in front of him had so much charisma and he was just damn sexy. Renji wanted the other to touch him and he didn’t know what to do with that. He let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding.

Grimm just looked at him with intense blue eyes and Renji felt like Grimm could read Renji’s soul, his wants and needs as Grimm could somehow read Ichigo’s. What would it be like to be reduced as Ichigo had been? Did he want that, need that? He didn’t even know what it would be like to be taken by Ichigo. And he wanted...Oh hell, thinking about all this sex had him getting hard and Grimm was smirking.

Grimm pulled a lock of Renji’s hair to his nose. “Your arousal smells like sunshine, dirt and chilies. I wonder if I had any part in getting you to that state?”

Renji stepped away. “I don’t suppose you are going to leave Ichigo and I alone are you when we bond?”

Grimm’s eyes grew somber. “No. But, then do you want to be alone with me?”

Renji’s breath caught. Grimm took the step separating them and caught a length of hair again. He tugged it.

“Will you let me fuck you?” Renji challenged.

Grimm took a deep breath. “If the bond demands it I will. No matter how damn difficult it is.” His voice became hard. “Haven’t you fucking realized, I will do whatever it takes to keep Ichigo… and you, safe?”

Renji closed his eyes. In the end, wasn’t that what this was about? It was bigger than him and his fears about this man who had once stood between him and a safe world. This was the same man who he’d feared stood between him and Ichigo. He had to find a way to put this fear and resentment of Grimmjow away. He hated that it was still there.

He tried to let it go at that moment, he wanted it to all fall away but it wouldn’t. Why was everything so tough for him? The academy, getting his Bankai, working his way to Taichou and this? Why was nothing ever fucking simple?

He glared at Grimm, the cause of all his current problems. “I need to go take care of some of this shit. I’ll be in my room. You’ll stay?”

Grimm let go of Renji’s hair and stepped back. “As if you have to ask.”

Renji grunted and after a quick glance toward Ichigo’s bedroom turned and headed out the door.

“Renji?” Grimm called.

Renji paused, surprised by the use of his name, but didn’t turn to look at the other man.

“Sometimes if it’s not hard, it’s not worth keeping.”

Renji was unable to move for what seemed like forever. How the fuck did the former Arrancar know what he was thinking? He took a deep breath and walked away, unable to acknowledge the man who was about to become his mate.

He had opened the door when he felt it rumble through the room and brush against him. He spun and stared at Grimm, expecting that shit eating grin. Instead the Visard was looking intently at him.

Grimm’s reiatsu gave him chills even as a part of him wanted to step into it and let it wrap around him.  Renji immediately rejected the feeling. He wanted no part of that, he spun to leave before he did something stupid.

“Red, look,” Grimm’s voice was soft but firm.

“What?” Renji growled.

“Our reiatsu meshes, Red.” Grimm took a slow but steady step forward. Renji hadn’t even realized he’d released his own reiatsu. “Why are you fighting what that means?”

“It means nothing.”

Grimm stood before Renji and touched Renji’s cheek with tips of his fingers. “It means everything,” Grimm whispered.

Renji couldn’t look away from the blue of Grimm’s eyes or catch his breath. It was as if he was frozen in time as the purple of their intertwined reiatsu danced around them. At last Renji took a breath and walked away, the door quietly shutting behind him.

__________________________

Renji looked at the Nue that was his Zanpakuto and they looked back.

“You are being cowardly. You cannot expect us to make your mind up for you when you refuse to,” the snake head, Saru, hissed. “Throughout all this, you have let circumstances push you into decision in your desperation. You had that as an excuse. Now you no longer have that.”

Renji looked around his inner world while his gut writhed in hot coils of shame. He knew they were right. The fact that he would make the decision to add Grimm a million times didn’t matter.

The baboon head, Hebi, spoke for the first time. “You made the right decision to save the former Arrancar when he was dying. Ichigo was proud of you for that. It showed how much you have grown. Yet, now there are consequences.”

“I fucking know that!” Renji yelled.

“Ahh, there is that fear,” Saru hissed. “You are afraid because Grimmjow is strong and his bond to Ichigo is strong. Are either of those stronger than who you are?”

Renji wanted to beat the crap out of something, that something being Jaegerjaquez Grimmjow.

“You are aware that Ichigo is stronger than you. You are proud of him,” Hebi said.

“Of course I am,” Renji replied, wondering where this was going.

“You are afraid that if Grimmjow is stronger than you, then you will be the weakest. You are a coward,” Saru hissed.

Renji couldn’t speak, couldn’t breathe, it was something he hadn’t wanted to admit.

“Do you doubt Ichigo’s respect for you, his wish to have you fighting at his side?” Hebi asked.

“No,” Renji said.

“Your reiatsu meshed with Grimmjow’s. He accepted you at the deepest level. Consider this,” Hebi’s voice was fading.

The last thing he heard before he was consciously aware, back in his room, was a hissing voice say disdainfully, “Coward.”

Renji stared at the wall where a beautiful painting of river with flowers like Renji, Rukia and their friends had once played with had appeared while he had been out earlier in the day. He wondered who Nel had spoken with to get that. It was stunning and Renji had used it as a focus to calm himself enough to get into his inner world.

Those flowers and Rukia were his past. It had been a painful one full of heartbreak and loss that had shaped him in so many ways. The future didn’t look like it would be any easier.

He knew Nell was responsible for aquiring the painting.

Everything and everyone was telling him to accept this. He let his eyes flutter shut and envisioned Grimm, not Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, sixth Espada, but Grimm as he’d been when they’d last spoken. He was still larger than life, pulsing with power and obnoxious. What would it feel like to touch that power?

His breath caught at the thought of Grimmjow reacting to HIS touch. The vision of that long, muscular body arching underneath his fingers had heat rushing from his head to his cock. He tried to remember the feeling of their meshed reiatsu. During the battle he’d felt complete. When he’d worked to save Grimm when he’d been hurt afterwards, he’d felt as though he was searching for a missing piece.

Grimmjow had to take him, had to fuck him. And he was afraid he’d like it too much.

Damn it.

 

\-----

Ichigo had stayed up and watched Grimm work off his frustrations by fighting Ulquiorra until Ichigo was too tired to keep his eyes open and went to bed alone.

He knew Renji was struggling with this. Ichigo didn’t understand why, really, that it was ok for Renji to bottom for Ichigo, but not for Grimm, but he wasn’t going to interfere in whatever Renji felt like he needed to do. He supposed it had something to do with the fact they were enemies.

He had two mates, one of whom was Grimmjow, who’d admittedly been an amazing lay, and he was sleeping alone. Ichigo stretched, ran his hand through his hair at how odd his life was. He told himself he was not lonely or horny, he was sleepy, turned over and closed his eyes.

\--------------------------------------

Grimmjow stood over Ichigo and watched him sleep. Meeting Ichigo had brought a shit ton of things into his long life. At first it was just a great fight and then came the feelings but now it was Red, Abarai Renji. Fucking Shinigami was nearly as complicated as Ichigo was and that was saying a hell of alot. ‘Course Ichigo never would have fallen for some weakling. As much as Grimmjow would have liked to deny it, Red was no weakling, he was a warrior. He’d earned Grimmjow’s respect. So how did Grimmjow pay it back?

\----

Grimmjow ran his hand up the length of Ichigo’s back, as he lay on his side on the bed. They were Ichigo’s room. The older male loved the feeling of the long line of muscle under the soft, smooth skin. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss an exposed shoulder. “Time to wake, Ichigo.”

Ichigo groaned and stretched. “Really?”

Grimmjow pressed against the muscle again, digging in a bit and massaging it, causing Ichigo to arch into the pressure. “Yeah. Ya need to get Red.”

“Hmm. Why don’t you go get him?” Ichigo nearly purred and the sound did things to Grimmjow’s cock he was trying to avoid. "I'm not your slave."

“Cause I don’t want to corner him.”

The body before him twisted and brown eyes looked at him. Ichigo still looked sleepy but he was seriously considering Grimmjow’s words.

“You don’t think he’ll come on his own?”

“I don’t want him to have to fight himself. Besides, I’m going to finish preparing a few things in my room. I want you to both come in at the same time.” He knew his tone was smooth and hid his nervousness. He wanted to bind them just right. He wanted Red to need him as much as Ichigo did, to feel that connection at some level. He could tell in his gut that it was already building on his side. He wanted Red, needed him with them.

Ichigo gave Grimm the signature frown but nodded. "Fine, but I hope you have something good in mind beside that cocky ass grin of yours or the only ass you'll get is the one he'll hand you in a fight."

Grimm huffed. "You think I'll come to this unprepared?" He narrowed his eyes and looked Ichigo up and down. "I did just fine with you didn't I?"

"Asshole."

 

____

Grimmjow called out for Ichigo and Red to come into his room at the knock. He looked the two over over as they entered, dressed in jeans, tee-shirts and their Zanpakutou. He tucked his hands into the back pockets of his own worn pair of pants thereby showing off his bare chest.

He felt their hot eyes on him and it made him burn. He knew he looked good, but to feel his mates’ stares was heady. He smirked predatorily.

They were fucking gorgeous. He looked at Ichigo, who wore a white v-neck tee with a black gothic cross design that had angel wings that wrapped towards the back.

Grimmjow licked his lips and watched the Strawberry blush.

Red had a blue shirt on with white lettering so faded it could barely be read. The color made the crimson hair shine in the braid that hung over the left shoulder. So the Shinigami had felt the need to bind it up and away but Grimmjow would enjoy taking it down, or maybe even having Ichigo taking it down for him. Oh, that thought had him stirring in his pants a bit. He wanted to run his hands through all that hair.

His head tilted to the left a bit as he studied them. Had Red gotten past what was bothering him? How willing was he to be here? Grimmjow took a step toward the taller man sensing him. His reiatsu was solid, there was certainty there in the posture but the crimson eyes held misgiving.

Grimmjow reached up and stroked the slope of Red’s jaw with the back of his fingers but held onto the wary eyes.. “You trust me with Ichigo.”

Red stilled. “You love Ichigo.”

“Huh. I suppose I do,” Grimmjow agreed then he tucked his fingers behind the long neck and rubbed the high cheekbone with his thumb. “But our reiatsu meshed. There..”

Red’s well-defined forearm came around to knock Grimmjow’s hand away but Grimmjow just rolled it around Red’s arm to clutch at the taller man’s wrist but only holding with loose fingers.

“There is a part of you in me,” Grimmjow continued, stepping forward with a grin, enjoying the show of spirit.. “And a part of me inside you, one you recognize. I know you do.”

Grimmjow told himself he didn’t feel any pain when Red pulled away looking as though he was still withholding judgment but could be convinced.

The challenge of having to prove himself to his mate wasn't unwelcome. He was prepared for that. He would win this battle, just as he had many others. It just so happened that Red would win too, he just didn't know it yet.

The fact that Red was here at all gave him hope.  “I thought this might happen,” the Vizard said. He turned and walked to a narrow table with a black table runner where he picked up a blue tanto (long knife with no hilt). He faced them again and by pulling the sheath from the handle as far as his arms spread made the 23cm blue and silver blade sing. The tang was silver but the sharp blade, that was blue so dark it approached black looking as though it might eat the light.

He nimbly flipped the blade over and around his left hand a couple of times in a figure eight and bringing it before himself before halting it with the handle pointing toward the Shinigami. As he dropped the right hand with the sheath to his side, he opened his palm and offered the tanto to Red.

“What the fuck?” Ichigo cried out.

Red stared, considering the blade and then into Grimmjow’s eyes, trying to read him.

“If I fail to respect your wishes in the bed through that archway, you carve me up with this blade,” Grimmjow said in deep smooth tones that spoke of his seriousness.

“I’d rather use Zabimaru,” Red replied after a considering look at the blade.

“Zabimaru would take up too much room in the bed.”

“And I suppose there is nothing to say I can’t use him on you AFTER I use the tanto.”

Grimmjow felt the first stirrings of fear. He swallowed. “Truth.” He reached a bit further toward Red with the blade. “You’ll only feel pleasure and connection. You know this needs to happen to protect Ichigo.”

“Hey!”

“And that’s the only reason I’m here.”

Grimmjow sheathed the tanto with a quick move and while still offering it, whispered into a pale ear so their younger mate wouldn’t hear, “There’s no curiosity about what skills I might have that made our Ichigo beg? “ Red’s arousal began to surround him: sunshine and dust. It was heady. “You were so gorgeous and wrecked after watching me take him.”

Red took the tanto and unsheathed it, placing the blade below Grimmjow’s Adam’s apple. “ It does appear to be a worthy blade. However, I never said you weren’t pretty Grimm. Perhaps some liquid ruby all over this chest would add to your humbleness?”

“Oh fuck no,” Ichigo said. “Grimm could be eviscerated, smeared in blood and still think he’s the hottest thing around. Humble is not in his vocabulary.”

“You’d know wouldn’t you?” Grimmjow smirked.

“Fuck you! I didn't think you were hot then! Besides, I’d hardly eviscerated you!” Ichigo took a step towards them.

Grimmjow felt a sharp pain on his neck. He slapped a hand on the pain and jerked back to look at Red. “What the hell?”

“Right, so you are a smug asshole. Got it.” Red played with Grimmjow’s nipple with the tip of the dagger, never cutting the skin.

Grimmjow’s eyes were huge as they looked down at his very hard nipples. “What the fuck?”

“Ichigo, why don’t you take that shirt off and lead the Kitten into his room instead of arguing whose balls are bigger?"

“Mine are!” Grimmjow and Ichigo both said at the same time.

Red laughed. “Sure they are. Grimm, there’s like a drop of blood on your neck, don’t freak out. I do know how to expertly wield a number of blades. You’ll get a demonstration of one when I take Ichigo,” he said slyly.

Grimmjow laughed, glad Red had finally come to play. “I can’t wait to witness your skill.” His voice became deeper and he licked the pad of his thumb. “I want to see your blade sliding in and out of his ass, even as my cum drips down your powerful thighs. You’ll feel me each and every thrust you give him, know I’m here watching you two.”

“Oh fuck off!” Ichigo yelled back over his shoulder even as his shirt came off. “Blade? What the hell is wrong with you? That’s like really bad porno dialogue.”

“So cheesy porno lines turn you on? ‘Cause that did,” he chuckled.

Ichigo turned around, bright red. “The fuck it did!?”

Grimmjow stalked up and palmed Ichigo’s nearly hard cock, making Ichigo gasp. He announced, “I can smell both your arousals.”

“Truth be told, you usually are more blunt. I believe I prefer when you use the words cock and dick over terms like sword or say… penis,” Red threw out helpfully.

Ichigo couldn’t seem to decide if he was laughing or choking but Grimmjow just nodded and looked into dancing crimson eyes. “I’ll keep that in mind, Red. Now, Ichigo, why don’t you go undress Red here so I can see all those amazing tattoos of his. I really want to lick them all up and play with his penis.”

“Bastard,” Ichigo said and shook his head.

“You asshole,” Red complained at the same time though he was laughing.

“Yep.” Grimmjow grabbed Ichigo as he stepped passed Grimmjow to reach Red. Grimmjow whispered into Ichigo’s ear, “Make him hard for me, caress his gorgeous, hard, body and show me what I’m getting,hat kind of mate we have.”

“It’s a really good thing you’re sexy, Grimm and I know you only mean good things.” Ichigo looked over to Red, “Ren, put the pigsticker away. Apparently the Hollow doesn’t think Shinigami know how to undress themselves.”

“Really?” Red’s tattooed eyebrows lifted and Grimmjow decided the grin should be illegal. “I guess you better come here and show me… slowly.” Red tossed the sheathed tanto onto the bed then turned to the side as Ichigo came up in front of him so Grimmjow could have a better view.

That lustful grin never faded as the older Shinigami took Ichigo’s mouth with his own. It took only a moment of sweet hello lip brushes before the two seemed to be having a contest as to who would dominate the kiss using teeth and tongue.

Grimmjow crossed his arms and smirked. His mates were feisty. Red’s long-fingered hand was clutching orange tresses while Ichigo had a hand down the back of the older man’s jeans and one grabbing the back of Red’s shirt.

“Fuck you, Renji,” Ichigo murmured gasping for breath and pressing his lips up along the sharp jaw. “You are so damn good at that.”

“Had a long time to practice for you.” He grabbed Ichigo’s face and moved it so he could suck on the column of the young man’s neck and turned his eyes to meet Grimmjow’s. “And my other mate.”

Fuck if that didn’t turn Grimmjow on.

Ichigo grabbed the bottom of Red’s shirt, dragged it off between them and tossed it on the floor before running his hands over the smooth skin exposed.

Before Grimmjow knew what he was doing, Grimmjow was stepping forward and pulling the hair tie out of the long hair. He gently ran his clumsy feeling hands through it not wanting to startle the man in front of him. He tugged and combed, pressing his face against the softness, drawing the smell of coconut and humming. He massaged the scalp with careful fingertips adding pressure at the “Fuck, harder, Grimm.”

“I have wanted to do this for awhile.” Grimmjow's voice was much deeper and rough when he spoke than he expected and he saw how surprised Ichigo was when he met the cinnamon eyes glancing upward from where he was licking Red’s chest.

He tucked the hair over one shoulder and after squeezing the thick shoulders a couple of times, he ran his hands down the beautiful back in front of him that was covered in jagged tattoos.

“Take his pants off Ichi,” Grimmjow ordered huskily.

“Already?” Ichigo asked with a shit eating grin.

“Red, you have any objections?”

“I’ll have to say I’m with the big badass on this one. Things are getting confining here.”

Grimmjow mouthed the right side of Red’s long neck. “Is that your new term of affection for me? Big Badass? I have to say, I kind of like it, but you’ll have to wait just a little bit longer to see just how big I really am, close up, that is.”

Red spun to face Grimmjow. “You are so fucking full of yourself,” hesaid, but he was grinning and his eyes were dancing.

“Nope, it will be you that will be full of me, really, really full.”

“Don’t you ever shut up?” Red asked.

“Kiss him,” Ichigo advised.

“Good,” plan, Grimmjow started to agree but Red had taken Ichigo’s advice and put it into practice.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to those that kudo and comment. Please continue! Really it means a lot to hear from you. There is going to be a lot of smexing for awhile. Hope you all are up for it!


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